Hardik Patel, Patidar leaders arrested

New Delhi, Aug 19: Here is the breaking news that, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel was on Sunday arrested by the police in Ahmedabad ahead of the hunger strike called by the Patidar leader.

According to the police officials, Patel was organising the protest and hunger strike without prior permission from the authorities.

A total of 140 people have reportedly been arrested ahead of Hardik Patel's hunger strike in Ahmedabad.

As many as 26 people, who were on their way to Ahmedabad from Rajkot, were also arrested by the Gujarat Police.

Patel had announced the one-day hunger strike for Sunday in a social media post in protest against the Gujarat government refusing to provide a venue for him and his supporters to launch a protest for reservation for the Patidar community from August 25.

"Acting in an unconstitutional manner, the state government has in the last two months failed to provide us a venue to launch our fight for farmers and social justice. We will be sitting on a token day-long fast onboard vehicles on Sunday, at Parking Zone ground in Nikol (Ahmedabad)," Patel said in a social media message.

"The 501 youths will be wearing a black ribbon around their mouth as a mark of respect to our former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. While paying our obeisance to Vajpayee ji, we will continue with our fast in Nikol," Patel had said.