Karauli incident was an experiment by BJP: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
The chief minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre for the nationwide communal violence on the occasion of Ram Navami last month
JAIPUR: Taking a veiled jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday said that violence cannot be the answer to violence and what happened in Karauli was “an experiment by the BJP”, which “has been done in seven states on Ram Navami”.
Speaking to reporters, the CM said, “What happened in Karauli was an experiment. Across the state, all religions took out processions together on Ram Navami, but the way they were used in Karauli…the same experiment has happened in seven states on Ram Navami. There riots broke out, and then bulldozers came in.”
Massive violence broke out in Karauli after some miscreants pelted stones at a bike rally, taken out by Hindus, while they were crossing a Muslim-dominated area in the city on April 2.
“The RSS and BJP have decided [ways] to divide this country between Hindus and Muslims, between religions, castes... This is part of their agenda and this is just the beginning. In the times to come, they will carry out bigger attacks…attack the chief minister, the government…that’s what they have planned,” Gehlot replied when asked if state BJP chief Satish Poonia said that if his party comes to power, loudspeakers will be removed.
The CM further said that the BJP is thinking of ways on how to stop development works.
Reacting to Gehlot’s comments, Rajya Sabha MP from BJP Kirori Meena tweeted, “CM Ashok Gehlot, you call yourself a Gandhian, yet you find the peaceful protest of the unemployed and the people suffering from the dictatorship of the government as a dhamaal patti (chaos). They do not lead to violence and unrest, nor does the development stop. But it does expose the negativity of the government running under your leadership. It is in my nature to raise my voice against injustice and tyranny. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, if you find this dhamal patti, it will continue. Now it will be further intensified across the state.”
