AHMEDABAD: The state capital Gandhinagar is on edge as the Gujarat ex-Army Union continue their protest ‘Operation Reservation’ for the 23rd day on Tuesday. Ex-servicemen put forth their demand for job quota, land allotment, arms license approval, salary protection, and pending benefits. The Maharelli call turned tense after police detained over 50 protesters, triggering road blockades, clashes, and mass detentions. The agitation has now snowballed into a showdown, with ex-soldiers vowing to continue their protest until their arrested leaders, including union president Jitendra Nimawat, are freed.“Our agitation will not stop until our leader is free,” declared ex-servicemen, accusing police of treating decorated soldiers “like terrorists.”What began as a peaceful sit-in at the Sector-6 Satyagraha Camp turned stormy when police detained over 50 ex-servicemen ahead of a proposed Sainik Adhikari Maharelli, citing lack of permission to protest.The crackdown only inflamed tempers. By afternoon, around 1,500 agitated ex-army personnel descended on Ahmedabad, blocking the busy stretch from Airport Circle to Indira Bridge. Chanting “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram,” they sat on the road, creating a two-kilometer-long traffic jam that stranded fliers on their way to the airport.Sensing the scale of the unrest, senior police officers, including JCP and DCP-level officials, rushed to the spot. Clashes broke out as ex-servicemen tried to free their detained comrades, forcing police to soften their stance. All detainees were eventually released after negotiations, and the blockade was lifted. But the agitation did not end there. Protesters regrouped, marching toward the Army Hospital for food before setting off for the Gandhinagar Secretariat.
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