Rajasthan: Police fire teargas at mob, by-poll candidate Meena arrested for slapping SDM

Independent MLA candidate Naresh Meena was arrested following high drama and violence on 14 November, Thursday, a day after he slapped an SDM (sub-divisional magistrate) during polling in Rajasthan's Tonk district and set in motion protests from both his supporters and Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) officials.

The tension created on Wednesday afternoon — when the Congress rebel contesting as an Independent in the by-polls caught Malpura SDM Amit Chaudhary by the collar and slapped him in full view of camera crew — continued through the night and well into Thursday.

Work across government offices in the state was hit in the morning with officials of the RAS Association and allied services going on a pen-down strike demanding that Meena be arrested. They said they would continue protesting until a meeting with chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

Ranged against them were Meena's alleged supporters. About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers, including police vehicles, were torched in the violence that erupted outside a polling booth in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly segment when the police tried to prevent Meena and his supporters from sitting on a dharna.

About 60 people were arrested in the early hours of Thursday following the violence that also saw crowds pelting stones at police personnel.

As Thursday morning progressed, the tension spiralled. “I will not surrender,” a defiant Meena told jostling camera crew in Samravta, about 100 km from state capital Jaipur, after he was taken into custody.

As restless crowds could be seen roaming the village, the police kept vigil to ensure that nothing more went wrong.

Meena's arrest was planned with care. Police administration, which included senior officers in full riot gear, were deployed in full strength and held a flag march. Tonk superintendent of police Vikas Sangwan gave the final direction to the police team to enter the village and take Meena into custody.

Police fired teargas shells to disperse the agitated mob after Meena's arrest. Some also pelted stones at the police but no injuries were reported. Alleged supporters of Meena blocked the roads, which were removed.

"It could be anyone… the government is strict with those who commit crime. We are getting the entire incident investigated and asked for a report and action will soon be taken against those who are guilty," state home minister Jawahar Singh Bedham said.

According to inspector-general of police (Ajmer) Om Prakash, four cases, including disrupting public work and damaging public property, were registered against Meena.

It all started when Chaudhary, who was on election duty, was trying to get people to vote in the village, which had boycotted polling over a demand that Samravta be included in Uniara sub-division instead of Deoli. Meena was supporting the villagers.

Hundreds of people were present outside the polling station when the slap was delievered. Meena later sat on a dharna outside a polling booth and asked his supporters to gather armed with sticks.

Once polling was over, police asked Meena and his supporters to disperse so the polling party could leave the station with the EVM machines. However, police said, they turned violent and pelted stones.

Before his arrest, Meena blamed Tonk district collector Saumya Jha and SP Sangwan for what had happened. “All 60 people who have been arrested are innocent. If anyone should be punished, it should be me," he said, alleging that the SDM on election duty had been working on the directions of the BJP.

“He got 30 people to vote by threatening to take action against them. I could not stop myself. I slapped him. It is correct. Seeing his nature, he should have been slapped more."

RAS Association general-secretary Neetu Rajeshwar told PTI what had happened was intolerable. "Such an incident is not tolerable. SDM Amit Chaudhary was slapped when he was doing his election duty fairly. The association is on a pen-down strike on Thursday. We will call off the strike after a representation with the chief minister on other demands. All our demands are constitutional. We don't want to let the public work suffer," Rajeshwar said.

Polling in by-polls for seven assembly seats, including Deoli-Uniara, was held yesterday from 7.00 am to 6.00 pm and the counting of votes is scheduled for 23 November.