Himmatnagar: A violent clash erupted on Monday between cattle breeders and the police near Sabar Dairy in Himmatnagar, amidst outrage over milk price changes. The incident has led to a police complaint being filed against 74 named individuals, including former Bayad MLA Jashubhai Patel, who is also a director of the dairy, and around 1,000 unidentified persons.

The protest, which began over the annual revision of milk prices per kilofat, took a serious turn as cattle breeders stormed the Sabar Dairy premises after breaking through police barricades. According to officials, the mob pelted stones, injuring several people, and blocked the Ahmedabad-Udaipur National Highway. In an attempt to control the situation, the police were forced to fire nearly 70 tear gas shells.

According to a complaint lodged at Himmatnagar A Division Police Station, former MLA Jashubhai Patel and Dharmendrasinh Jetawat from Idar taluka allegedly incited the crowd through provocative social media posts. Despite Sabar Dairy’s disbursement of retention money on July 11, the duo reportedly accused the dairy’s chairman and directors of distributing reduced profits and acting arbitrarily.

The messages allegedly urged people to gather at the dairy on July 14. As per the complaint, a crowd of approximately 1,000 people assembled at Sabar Dairy’s main gate around 10 a.m., chanting inflammatory slogans and threatening violence against the dairy’s leadership. The mob reportedly arrived armed with iron pipes, sticks, and stones. When police attempted to negotiate, the crowd turned hostile and attacked law enforcement. Head Constable Jignesh Kumar Sureshbhai was reportedly dragged into the mob and attacked brutally.

Protesters also vandalised government vehicles, damaged the iron gate and fencing of the dairy, and blocked the national highway by placing stones and tree branches, causing major traffic disruptions. Police have registered a case under serious charges and initiated a probe into the incident. Efforts to identify and arrest the accused are currently underway. DeshGujarat