Independent candidate who slapped SDM sent to judicial custody, situation in Tonk stable

Jaipur: The situation in Rajasthan's violence-hit Tonk district was stable on Friday, a day after the arrest of Independent candidate for the Deoli-Uniara Assembly bypoll Naresh Meena who was sent to judicial custody for a fortnight.

Meena, a Congress rebel who slapped a sub-divisional magistrate on election duty outside a polling booth on November 13, was arrested on Thursday following high drama and escalating violence in which a mob assaulted a PTI reporter and video cameraperson and burnt their camera.

The Congress' Tonk MLA and senior leader Sachin Pilot blamed the BJP government in Rajasthan for the violence and alleged the "state machinery was deployed to attack people".

Police produced Meena before a court in Niwai of Tonk district virtually, citing law-and-order issues. It was expected that he would be brought before the court physically. However, the plan was changed as Meena's supporters had gathered at different locations and threatened to block the Jaipur-Kota Highway.

"The court gave directions to produce Naresh Meena through video conference after police cited law-and-order issues. During the hearing, the court sent Meena to judicial custody for 14 days," the Independent candidate's counsel Sitaram Sharma told PTI.

According to police, four cases, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property, were registered against Naresh Meena.

Apart from him, 52 people arrested by the police in connection with the violence were physically produced before the court and were sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

Police had made tight security arrangements with its personnel deployed in Tonk and the surrounding areas in large numbers.

Tonk District Collector Soumya Jha said, "During polling on November 13, a candidate slapped the SDM while on election duty. The SDM filed an FIR then, but we did not disturb the candidate." "After the polls ended and the polling party was leaving, the candidate tried to stop them. That's when the police intervened. The police attempted to resolve the situation, but the candidate initiated an assault," she told PTI.

"Some supporters caused disturbances in different areas, but now the situation has stabilised and everything is under control," the district collector added.

The Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) association members, who have been on a pen-down strike for two days demanding Naresh Meena's arrest for slapping Malpura SDM Amit Chaudhary, met Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma and later called off their protest.

The association's general secretary Neetu Rajeshwar said the meeting was positive and their strike has been called off.

State Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena met Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham in Jaipur and spoke to him about the situation in the Samravta village where the violence started. The villagers were also present during the discussion.

"No criminal, regardless of their caste or group, will be spared. But it will also be ensured that the innocent are not affected," Kirodi Lal Meena said after the meeting.

He also apologised for the assault on the PTI team covering Naresh Meena's arrest case.

When asked to comment on the violence, Congress leader Pilot said, "The BJP-led Rajasthan government has lost control over law and order. The state machinery was deployed to attack people living in villages." "The brutality of the Rajasthan government reveals that people have no faith left in it," he said while asserting that violence is no answer to any issue.

The Tonk MLA said the government must take strict action against anybody indulging in violence but "when it becomes a party to the violence, then it is very unfortunate".

The senior Congress leader claimed that instead of taking preventive measures or having administrative control over the situation to prevent violence from erupting, the police "became a party to unleashing terror and that is unacceptable." He demanded a full inquiry into the violence and said the state government should provide compensation to the people who suffered losses. "People are increasingly losing faith in the functioning of the Rajasthan government," Pilot added.

Naresh Meena is said to be close to Pilot.

In a post on X after his arrest on Thursday, Meena had blamed the BJP-led government for the violence.

"Tonk district collector and the Bhajanlal government are responsible for the violence. Police should stop the barbaric behaviour with my colleagues and workers otherwise the spark which began in Deoli-Uniara will not take much time to spread to every corner of the state. The administration and the government will be responsible for it," he had said.

On Thursday, police cleared the jam on the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur highway near Aligarh town that was closed for about 10 hours.

About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers were torched in the violence that erupted outside a polling booth in Tonk district after supporters, alleged of Meena, pelted stones at the police on Wednesday night. Around 60 people were arrested following the violence.

On Wednesday, stones were pelted at the police personnel, who lobbed tear gas shells to control the situation.

Hundreds of people were present at the dharna outside a polling station where Meena had slapped the officer engaged in election duty. He later sat on a dharna outside a polling booth in Samravta village and asked his supporters to gather at the dharna with sticks.

After the polling was over, the police asked Meena and his supporters to disperse from outside the polling station so that the polling party could leave the station with EVM machines.

However, they turned violent and pelted stones, police said.

Meena slapped the SDM for making efforts to get more people to vote while the locals had boycotted polling over a demand to include Samravta village in the Uniara sub-division instead of Deoli as Uniara is the nearest location. Meena was supporting the villagers.

Polling for bypolls on seven assembly seats, including Deoli-Uniara, was held from 7 am to 6 pm on November 13. The counting of votes will take place on November 23.