The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Rajasthan unit president Satish Poonia on Friday alleged that the Congress government in Rajasthan was pursuing “appeasement politics” and aiding “communalism”. He demanded a judicial probe into the communal violence in Karauli in the State.
At a press conference held at the BJP’s Delhi headquarters, Mr. Poonia and party spokesperson Rajendra Rathore had made the accusations against the Ashok Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan in the context of the communal violence in Karauli in the State. Mr. Poonia said that the Hindu community was being prevented from celebrating its festivals.
The government has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC to restrict religious marches by Hindus while giving permission to events by the Popular Front of India, a Muslim body, he said.
“It seems there is a Taliban government in Rajasthan. We have not seen such an atmosphere of fear and terror,” he alleged.
Communal clashes had broken out in Karauli on April 2 after stones were pelted at a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate the Hindu new year, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew, suspend the Internet and deploy 600 police personnel.
Mr. Rathore, who was part of the party’s committee to look into the incident, said Mr. Gehlot had claimed that provocative slogans were raised during the rally even before the probe. “He gave a clean chit to rioters,” Mr. Rathore claimed.
Mr. Poonia said a more “incapable, incompetent and corrupt” government had never been in-charge in the State, with over seven lakh first information reports (FIR) being filed in the last three years.
Rajasthan has been known as a peaceful State but deteriorating law and order had hit tourism and investment, aggravating the unemployment rate, he said.
Mr. Gehlot had earlier alleged that an environment of religious polarisation had been created in the country after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power at the Centre.
Noting that peace, brotherhood and harmony are important for development, Mr. Gehlot had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should appeal to the people of the country to shun polarisation based on religion and caste.
