Protesting Patidars in Gujarat have announced that more than 10,000 Patels will flood the cricket stadium in Rajkot on 18 October when India will play against South Africa in a one-day match.
Hardik Patel, convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), which has been spearheading the agitation for three months, said that members of the Patel community would display their agitation during the international one day match in a "peaceful manner."
"We have bought around 1,000 tickets and would buy more tickets in days to come. Our members will wear specially made T-shirts printed with 'Jay Sardar.' "We will showcase our demands sitting in the gallery during the match without causing any disruption," Mr. Hardik Patel said.
Photo: Vijay Soneji
As the PAAS announced its plan to protest at the cricket venue, the State administration has started preparing for elaborate security arrangements for the match. Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, who was supposed to watch the match in Rajkot, has reportedly cancelled her plan following the Patel community's announcement.
The State police have started making three tier security arrangements and made it mandatory that the tickets will be sold only on the production of original IDs and will be non-transferable. The police have also said that the spectators will not be allowed to carry any placard or any material inside the stadium.
The State DGP P.C. Thakur held a meeting with the Chief Secretary G.R. Aloria to discuss the security measures the police would undertake to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the match.
"It is a very serious matter. If something happens, it will spoil the image of Rajkot and we will not get international matches in future," Niranjan Shah, president of Saurashtra Cricket Association, told the local media in Rajkot on Wednesday.
Rajkot cricket stadium has capacity of 27,000 spectators.
