Rajasthan bypoll: Naresh Meena, who slapped SDM in Tonk, arrested after high drama
Rajasthan bypoll: Naresh Meena, a Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, caught SDM Malpura, Amit Chaudhary, by his collar and slapped him.
Tonk violence: Naresh Meena, an Independent MLA candidate from Rajasthan’s Tonk district, was arrested on Thursday, a day after he allegedly slapped a sub-divisional magistrate during a bypoll polling in full view of camera crews. Naresh Meena was arrested following high drama and violence.
Naresh Meena, a Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, caught SDM Malpura, Amit Chaudhary, by his collar and slapped him.
News agency PTI reported that Amit Chaudhary was trying to get more people to vote. 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. The report added that Naresh Meena was supporting the villagers.
The incident led to tension in the area, with vehicles being torched, police being pelted with stones and 60 people arrested.
60 two-wheelers, 18 four-wheelers torched
About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers were torched in the violence that erupted outside the polling booth. Police personnel tried to remove Meena and his supporters who sat on a dharna in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency.
Work across government offices in the state was hit in the morning as the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) Association called for a pen-down strike, and government work was affected for some time in the morning, demanding that Naresh Meena be arrested. They said they would continue till a meeting with chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma.
Four cases were registered against Naresh Meena, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property.
How Rajasthan Police arrested Naresh Meena was arrested
About 60 people were arrested in the early hours of Thursday following the violence that also saw crowds pelting stones at police personnel.
As the morning progressed, tension spiralled. “I will not surrender,” a defiant Naresh Meena told jostling camera crews in Samravta, about 100 km from the state capital Jaipur, after he was taken into custody, PTI reported.
As restless crowds could be seen roaming the village, police mounted a vigil to ensure that nothing more went wrong.
The arrest was planned with care.
The police administration, which included senior officers in full riot gear, was 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 soon action will be taken against those who are guilty," PTI quoted minister of state for home Jawahar Singh Bedham as saying.
According to inspector general of police (Ajmer) Om Prakash, four cases, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property, were registered against Meena.
What happened in Tonk on November 13?
- It all started when SDM Amit 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 it happened. Meena later sat on a dharna outside a polling booth and asked his supporters to gather with sticks.
- After polling was over, police asked Meena and his supporters to disperse so the polling party could leave the station with EVM machines. However, police said they turned violent and pelted stones at police.
- 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 them 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," he claimed.
- Polling for bypolls on seven assembly seats, including Deoli-Uniara, was held on Wednesday from 7am to 6pm and counting will take place on November 23.
(With inputs from PTI)