Terror threat derails Vaghela’s Dec 6 rally

A rally planned in Ahmedabad, on December 6, that was expected to draw about 1 lakh participants — and Shankersinh Vaghela as the star speaker — has been scrapped by the government, apparently owing to a terror threat.

According to the joint commissioner of police, sector 1, Satish Sharma, the Ahmedabad police have received a specific intelligence input that warned of an attack on that very day. Sharma said that the police have cancelled all public meetings planned for that day.

On December 6, throngs supporting the Gujarat State Employees Co-ordination committee were to join the masses supporting the Prabudh Nagarik Shakti Manch at Darpan Crossing.  Vaghela, who was scheduled to address the gathering at Darpan Crossing, has said that the terror threat was no more than a political gimmick orchestrated by the Modi government. “The terror threat is greater in Kutch, which is closer to Pakistan than Ahmedabad,” Vaghela said. “This is the Modi government’s terrorism against democracy. We will do what we had planned, the government can do what they want.”

(Jumana Shah contributed to this report)