Gehlot blames BJP for fuelling riots and hatred

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for fuelling communal riots not only in Rajasthan but also all over the country.

He blamed the BJP president, J P Nadda for using the recent communal violence in Karauli for inciting hatred amongst people. He said it seems Nadda’s visit to Sawaimadhopur, a district adjoining Karauli when Karauli was burning was to announce that the BJP is in election mode in the state. The state will go for the Vidhan Sabha poll next year. He said that Nadda, by visiting Sawaimadhopur has almost announced that the BJP is using communal violence for election purposes. He said that after Nadda, Union Home minister Amit Shah will visit the state. He said the visit of the BJP leaders is only to set the state on fire. They would say something that would only aggravate violence.

Karauli which saw violence with 34 four persons injured and over 35 shops set on fire is limping back to normalcy. The district administration has imposed a curfew till midnight of April 7. The administration also allowed various government offices to open and allowed the shops to open to enable people to buy their daily needs.

Gehlot urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take responsibility of the communal violence in Karauli. Both Modi and Amit Shah should condemn violence and ensure that the rule of law is established within the country, he said while adding that anybody responsible for spreading violence, be it be a Hindu or a Muslim should be punished.

The Rajasthan chief minister said that there is always pressure from the RSS on the BJP not to condemn any violence. He recalled when the mob lynching took place in Alwar, Modi condemned it and the whole country welcomed his statement on mob lynching. But, after his condemnation perhaps the RSS guided him not to issue such statements and he stopped speaking in public on the issue. Prime Minister Modi should give a clear message that his government at the Centre will not tolerate any communal violence, Gehlot added.

An aggressive Gehlot blamed the BJP for creating a Hindu-Muslim divide by trying to hold rallies in the name of the religion and accused the BJP of raising slogans in the name of the religion.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister rewarded the Karauli constable 31-year-old Netresh Sharma, who showed exemplary courage and bravery during the recent Karauli riots and cared little for his own life while saving three women and a child amid fire and arson. Gehlot, who spoke to the constable on Monday congratulated him and also announced his promotion as head constable.

The Chief Minister immediately responded to his brave act when a video showing the constable rescuing the woman and the child went viral.

Netresh, on hearing the screams of women and children trapped in fire first rescued a three-year-old Muslim boy by wrapping him with a blanket and then emerged out of the small house engulfed in flames with the child in his arms like a phoenix.

Then he accompanied the women by showing extraordinary bravery and brought them out of the danger zone. He did this as an enterprising journalist was filming it on his mobile.

The Karauli police have arrested 36 persons for violence and disturbing peace. The police are also searching for the masked miscreants, who indulged in the rioting and pelting of stones. Thirteen such persons have been arrested by the police.