Like UP, Gujarat too announces laws against rioters

Just like Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath enacted laws to make rioters pay for damage to public property, the Gujarat government too on Tuesday announced that rioters will be made to cough up money for damage to public property.

"Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has instructed the administration to scrutinize the rioters' property and make assessment so that the damage caused by them to the public property can be recovered," Pradeepsinh Jadeja, the minister of state for home, said in the ongoing budget session of the Gujarat assembly.

Jadeja was speaking in the House during the discussion on the recent Khambhat riots, under rule 116 of the Gujarat Assembly, raised by Congress MLAs Imran Khedawala, Gyasuddin Shaikh, Mohammed Peerzada and Mahesh Kumar Rawal.

The Minister informed the House that there were a total of 9 FIRs filed in the case and 115 persons were arrested. Cudgels, iron rods, daggers were recovered from the accused.

During the violence, the rioters had damaged houses, shops, vehicles and also public property in Akbarpur, Madarnagar, Bhoi Bari, Lal Darvaza, Pirajpura, Bhavsar wad, Prajapati Vas, Tran Darvaja areas of Khambhat. During the riots, 41 members of the public and eight police officials were injured in stone pelting.

Jadeja said that the Additional DG (law and order), IG (armed unit), Ahmedabad range IG, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kheda, Superintendent of Police (SP), Ahmedabad rural and SRP commandant as well as SMC were immediately rushed to the affected area, as soon as the news of the riots was received. The Director General of Police (DGP) also visited Khambhat.

The Minister said that due to the prompt action by the district administration and the police, the accused were arrested. Standard procedures like area domination, arrest of anti-social elements, flag marches, static deployment, combing and constant patrolling by senior officials brought the situation under control.