Ahmedabad: Members of Dalit community jammed roads and organized rallies in many parts of the state on Su-nday, including capital Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, and Patan in Mehsana district against the failure of authorities concerned to prevent suicide by Dalit activist Bhanu Vanakar on Friday, police said.The protests were held after police detained Dalit leader and independent MLA from Vadgam Jignesh Mevani, and over 70 others, in Saraspur area of Ahmedabad in the morning when they tried to stage demonstrations over Vanakar's death. City crime branch officials claimed that Mevani did “not behave properly” with the police during his detention. However, Mewani tweeted he was pulled out of a car by police in a “very uncivilised manner”.Vanakar (62) had set himself ablaze outside the Patan Collector's office on February 15 seeking allotment of land to a Dalit family. He died of burn injuries at a private hospital in Ahmedabad the next day. His body is still lying at Gandhinagar civil hospital as his relatives have refused to accept it. Earlier, on Saturday, Mevani appealed to Dalits to gather at Sarangpur circle on Sunday morning for protests.Scores of protesters were detained in Mehsana and Patan districts after they tried to block the highways.Twenty eight persons were detained in Unjha, six in Mehsana and 29 in Patan.Shankheswar taluka Congress president Kailashben Barot suffered burn injuries when she tried to set ablaze a tyre near Sami. Protesters also created a chakka jam near Bindu Sarvoar in Siddhpur town. A group of around 30 people pelted stones at BJP office on Patan highway at around 7:30pmA constable of Gadhsheesha police station, Khumansinh, was also hit by a stone on his head. Heavy vehicles like trucks were stopped midway between Patan and Siddhpur after a mob blocked the highway.A group of women also gheraoed Patan SP Ashwin ChauhanJoint commissioner of police (crime) J K Bhatt said Mevani did not co-operate with police for maintaining peace in the city. “Many Dalit leaders of the city had assured us that peace will not be disturbed during protests. Unfortunately, Mevani didn't give any such assurance. So, as a precautionary measure, we have detained him on Sunday,” Bhatt told reporters.After the news about Mevani's detention spread, some unidentified people set a car on fire in Vadaj area of the city, police said.Mevani and other detainees will be released at a proper time,” Bhatt said, adding two companies of anti-riot Rapid Action Force and three companies of the State Reserve Police have been deployed in the city.Mevani had demanded that the government issue a circular. He was released later in the evening.

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