Vadodara, Feb 20 (UNI) City police today arrested Gujarat Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Vice President Ashok Pawar for trying to self-immolate him self in protest against the recent hike in milk prices by the Baroda Dairy.

It was high drama outside the district court (Nyay Mandir) here after Pawar accompanied by about 50 of his party supporters arrived at Shahid Bhagat Singh's statue this afternoon and started shouting slogans against the hike.

However, tension prevailed when Pawar took out a can and poured kerosene on himself. Before the situation could take an ugly turn, the NCP leader was overpowered by Raopura police inspector B M Rajvanshi, who arrested Pawar under sections 309 and 128 of IPC.

Police also took 20 of his supporters into custody. However, they were later released.

Police was looking for Pawar for the last couple of days after he submitted a memorandum to district collector Rajiv Topno on February 18 threatening to immolate himself unless the Baroda Dairy management withdraw the hike in milk prices forthwith.

Baroda Dairy which had increased the prices of all its milk varieties by rupee one from February one, had however rejected Pawar's demand saying that the hike was inevitable because of the stiff hike in prices of raw materials.

UNI