The incident happened when followers of Dr Ambedkar were preparing to take part in a rally organised by the Republican Party of India. Several small rallies were to be taken out in different areas, to assemble later in front of Sardar Vallabhbhai's statue near the Surat Railway station.

During one such small rally, Pravin Vasanta Nishat, resident of Uttar Pradesh, stepped on the toe of one Raju Marathi, resident of Maharashtra. This led to a fight between the two, following which Marathi along with his friend, assaulted Pravin killing him on the spot.

The murder sent panic waves in the area but police authorities ensured that the main rally -- Abhivadan Yatra -- remained unaffected by sending in more police personnel. The rally, in which politicians belonging to all major parties took part, passed off peacefully. It culminated near the statue of Ambedkar on the Ring Road.

Speaking at the occasion, RPI general secretary and convener of Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations Suresh Sonvane criticised the Surat Municipal Corporation for not providing them facilities by saying that it was bound by the electoral code of conduct in view of the by-election to Surat ward. He said the SMC had not bothered to follow the code of conduct in 1994, when elections were ahead.

The RPI dubbed it as insult to Dr Ambedkar. Sonvane claimed that he had information that the corporation was planning to remove the statue from its present location, and warned that the civic body as well as the State government will have to bear serious consequences. Former deputy mayor B C Sonvane said by not providing facilities the civic body had insulted the entire Dalit community. He appealed the Dalits to teach a lesson to what he called anti-Ambedkarites.

Meanwhile, rich tributes were paid to Dr Ambedkar at a function organised in Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at its Ph-I Colony and Training Centre. Group general manager S Prasad and office-bearers of All-India SC/ST Welfare Association distributed clothes to 225 people belonging to Halpati Niwas, Bhatpore and 28 sewing machines to the handicapped and poor persons of SC/ST community through Trailokya Baudha Mahasangh Sahayak Gana, Surat.