Surat: After rioting and vandalism by Patidar community members at the BJP Yuva Morcha event last week, Varachha city police have changed the strategy to deal with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS).The changes were made in security arrangements at a BJP event on Tuesday in Punagam. Police deployed heavy bandobast at the event after getting inputs of protest by PAAS members. Police had also received information that the PAAS members could resort to some violent protest in absence of tight bandobast."To avoid repetition of the past incidents, we installed heavy bandobast on all major roads around the event venue and did not allow a rally for which permission was not taken. One police inspector was made incharge of each important location," said Satish Sharma, city police commissioner, Surat."Further, we identified the hotspots where PAAS members could assemble and additional cops were deployed at these places. Once the PAAS members gathered at Labheshwar Chowkdi, we did not arrest them and allowed them to register protest," he added.Senior police officials said that not detaining the PAAS members helped them since the patidars did not get agitated, which, in the past had sparked violence. Police issued warning to PAAS members and forced them to leave the spot instead of detaining them.

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