Police personnel in action as Patel community supporters go on rampage in Surat. (Press Trust of India photo)
Several trains to and from Gujarat have been cancelled after incidents of arson and violence in parts of the state since Tuesday night.
A curfew has been imposed in Ahmedabad and Surat and the Army and paramilitary forces have been deployed to help restore law and order.
12 trains, including a Rajdhani and the Ashram Express from Ahmedabad to Delhi, have been cancelled; 19 trains will travel only till the Gujarat border and five have been diverted.
Eight people, including a policeman, have died in clashes in the state that began after the brief detention in Ahmedabad of
21-year-old Hardik Patel, who is leading a massive campaign by the powerful Patel or Patidar caste that wants reservation in government jobs and colleges.
Five columns of the
Army held flag marches in Ahmedabad; two columns each have been deployed in Surat and in Mehsana in north Gujarat. About 5,000 paramilitary personnel have also been sent to Gujarat.
More than a 100 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in Ahmedabad and seven other districts.
While fresh clashes and damage to public property were reported from Surat today, the situation in Ahmedabad was described as being under control today.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for calm in Gujarat. In a televised address, PM Modi said, "Violence does not benefit anybody. We must work together to solve problems through talks".