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Karauli: BJP alleges attack was pre-planned; Councilor booked, 20 arrested
The BJP alleged that the Karauli attack was pre-planned and said that the Popular Front of India had warned the government about the attack two days before the violence.
JAIPUR: While the curfew continues in Rajasthan’s Karauli on Tuesday, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that the attack on the Hindu groups taking out bike rally during Nav Samvatsar here was “pre-planned” and said the Popular Front of India, a Muslim organisation, had warned the government about it two days before the violence on Saturday.
The police have so far arrested 20 people for the communal riot and suspected involvement of an independent councilor, supporting the Congress, behind the communal tension. The councilor is absconding, police said.
The violence broke out when some miscreants pelted stones on a bike rally crossing the Muslim dominant area of the city on Saturday. The bike rally was taken out by Hindu outfits on Nav Samvatsar.
Superintendent of police, Karauli, Shailendra Singh said the law and order situation is under control and an investigation is going on.
On the involvement of the independent councilor, who supports the Municipal Board led by the Congress in Karauli, he said, his name is there in the FIR and teams have been constituted to nab him. “In the preliminary probe and as per statements of the eyewitnesses, it is found that somehow, he instigated people and asked them to gather. He had a role to play in the incident,” the SP said.
A person familiar with the development said that 20 people have been arrested so far based on video evidence. He also said there was a failure of the police and district administration as the Muslim groups had met them raising suspicion that there would be slogans hurting their sentiments, and urged the police to change the route of the bike rally.
He said this time the rally was done with pomp and show, unlike in the past. For the last two years, it wasn’t done due to Covid-19, and earlier it wasn’t that big, he added.
Deputy leader of opposition and BJP leader Rajendra Rathore alleged that the entire attack on the rally was pre-planned. “The rally had all the permissions by the district administration, but the sudden attack with stones, swords, and sticks was pre-planned – loads of stones were stocked on the terraces, how was it possible,” he said.
“The police and administration didn’t get the drone survey of the area or the rally route done, the police reached on the spot in 45 minutes, and the intelligence report did not say anything about the planning, which raises questions on the entire police system,” said Rathore addressing newspersons at the state party office.
He also cornered chief minister Ashok Gehlot on his statement against BJP chief JP Nadda and union home minister Amit Shah. He said the CM’s statements, saying Nadda and Shah come and ignite a fire and BJP has come into election mode, are childish. “In a way, he (Gehlot) has warned that in coming days, while he is in power, there will be riots and tension,” he said.
Rathore alleged that the CM has given a clean chit to those who pelted stones and raised swords by saying that the tension in Karauli is because of the objectionable slogans.
He said the PFI chief in a letter to the CM and DGP had raised suspicion and apprised that between April 2 and 4 there can be tension and communal harmony would get disturbed. But despite that, no action was taken, he alleged.
Hitting out at Gehlot, former chief minister and national vice president of the BJP, Vasundhara Raje said that Gehlot is accusing top BJP leaders of the Karauli incident to hide his failure, which is absolutely wrong. She said that he keeps making false allegations against the BJP leaders every day in order to divert the attention of the public from the failures of his government.
A delegation of BJP leaders led by Rathore visited Karauli today.
The PFI’s state secretary (media), Taj Mohammad Pathan said the Popular Front of India, being a responsible organization of the country, considers it its responsibility to make the government and administration aware of the dangers that are coming. “The state president wrote a letter, this letter was written in the context of the entire Rajasthan state, which is being presented in a twisted manner by the BJP and attempts are being made to link it with the incident of Karauli, while all the videos and evidence are clear-- How the rioters have spoiled the atmosphere and who are waving saffron flags by forcibly entering the mosques. Instead of taking action against them, a conspiracy is being hatched to defame the PFI,” he said.
