Police foil attempt to lockdown Tata Nano plant; detain 700

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Police on Thursday foiled a bid to lockdown Tata Nano plant by detaining OBC leader Alpesh Thakor and his supporters, who were demanding jobs for local youths in industries in the state.

Thakor had on Wednesday given a call to lockdown the plant at Sanand GIDC area as part of his agitation against industries which he claimed are not employing local youths.

“Thakor and his around 450 supporters were detained 3 km away from the Sanand GIDC,” Ahmedabad Rural SP R V Asari said.

“We also detained around 250 people from different parts of the district who were headed to join a rally organised by Thakor. Around 700 people were detained and later let off,” he said.

The state government had deployed a large police force in Sanand and surrounding areas following the threat given by Thakor, Convener of OBC, SC-ST Ekta Manch. “Industries coming to Gujarat have to give 85 percent  employment in their plants to local youths as per a government rule. However, this rule is not being followed despite lakhs of Gujarat youths being unemployed,” Thakor had said.

“We demand the state government put pressure on these industries to give 85 percent jobs to local youths. We will  lockdown industries which don’t follow this rule, he had said.

Tata’s Nano plant was shifted to Ahmedabad from Singur in West Bengal after it faced protests over land acquisition in the eastern state.

The plant was established here when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat. The facility produces only a limited number of the small car and Tata Motors manufactures other models at the plant.