SURAT: At least 30 persons, including three Congress candidates contesting assembly elections and several members of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS), were detained following clash between police outside Varachha police station late on Thursday night. Police chasing and thrashing PAAS members who had come to register their protest at Varachha police station was grim reminder of the 2015 quota violence in different parts of the state.Those detained include Congress candidate from Varachha Dhiru Gajera, his party colleagues contesting from Surat (north) Dinesh Kachhadiya and Bhavesh Rabari who is contesting from Karanj seat. They had come to the police station demanding release of some PAAS members detained earlier.Earlier in the day, a group of PAAS members shouted slogans outside BJP election campaign office in Yogi Chowk in Sarthana that falls under of Katargam constituency at around 9.30 pm. To maintain law and order police detained six Patidar youth from the spot and brought them to Varachha police station for safety reasons. However, within some time a group of PAAS members led by Alpesh Kathiriya arrived at the police station to get them released.Police refused to release the detained PAAS members following which the crowd swelled and soon Congress leaders like Gajera, Kachhadiya and Rabari also reached the police station with supporters. A number of men and women, Congress municipal councillors surrounded the police station and joined in PAAS protest. Police resorted to mild lathi charge on the PAAS members outside Varachha police station.Police asked the PAAS members to leave the spot but they continued demonstration. Initially police detained 20 persons. But Kathiriya and others continued protest and sat on stairs of police station after which they too detained.

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