Jaipur: Independent MLA candidate from Rajasthan’s Tonk district Naresh Meena who slapped Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Malpura, Amit Kumar Chaudhary, and allegedly set a vehicle on fire near a polling booth during the by-poll on Wednesday was arrested on Thursday.
Meena, a Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, caught SDM Malpura by his collar and slapped him, an official said. Chaudhary was trying to get more people to vote in the bypolls held on Wednesday. Locals had boycotted polling over a demand to include Samravta village in Uniara sub-division instead of in Deoli. Meena was supporting the villagers.
The incident led to tension in the area with vehicles being torched, police being pelted with stones and 60 people arrested. About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers were torched in the violence that erupted outside the polling booth. Police personnel tried to remove Meena and his supporters who sat on a dharna in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency.
The Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) Association called for a pen-down strike and government work was affected for some time in the morning. Four cases were registered against Meena, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property. Tonk district is now under heightened surveillance, and further actions will be taken in the coming days, police said.
Why Did Meena Slap The SDM?
An angry Meena kept blaming the Election Commission for not making his election symbol properly visible on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) machine. This led to a heated argument between Chaudhary and Meena following which the latter lost his temper and slapped the SDM.
Police asked Meena and his crew to disperse once voting was over so that the polling party could leave with the EVM equipment. Meena and his supporters allegedly became violent and began throwing stones at the police. STF, Rajasthan Armed Constabulary jawans Jitendra Chawla, Mahipal and Mukesh had to be hospitalised after they got injured in the violence.
Inspector-General of Police, Ajmer Omprakash, said heavy police presence was deployed in the village after the incident came to light. There was proof of one vehicle being set on fire by the mob and data on the exact number of vehicles burnt will come out soon. The officer stated that police are working to restore law and order in the area.
Reacting to the incident, Minister Kirori Lal Meena appealed to the people in the area to maintain peace. Taking to X, he posted: 'I have just talked to the Director General of Police and Tonk District Collector over the phone regarding the Samarwata village (Deoli-Uniyara) case and took stock of the situation. I appeal to all of you to please maintain peace and patience.
समरावता गांव (देवली -उनयारा) प्रकरण को लेकर मैंने अभी पुलिस महानिदेशक एवं टोंक जिला कलेक्टर से फोन पर वार्ता कर स्थिति का जायजा लिया l
— Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena (@DrKirodilalBJP) November 13, 2024
आप सभी से मेरी अपील है की कृपया शांति और धैर्य बनाएं रखें।
Bypolls for seven assembly seats in Rajasthan, including Deoli-Uniara, concluded Wednesday with vote counting scheduled for November 23. (With agency inputs)
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