Jaipur: As many as 141 people have been arrested so far in connection with communal clashes over the hoisting of a flag before Eid in Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s constituency Jodhpur where a curfew continued for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.
The situation is under control and no fresh incident of violence has been reported, police said.
Nearly 1,000 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. Earlier, the authorities issued orders imposing a curfew till Wednesday midnight besides suspending mobile internet services. DGP M L Lather said 141 people have been arrested and 12 FIRs registered in Jodhpur. Four FIRs were registered by police and eight lodged by people, he said. He said nine policemen were injured in the violence.
Tensions broke out the night intervening Monday and Tuesday over putting up of Islamic flags on the Jalori gate circle, which led to stone pelting.
The situation was brought under control in the early hours on Tuesday with heavy deployment of police but tensions escalated again in the morning after prayers at an Eidgah close to the Jalori gate circle.
Shops, vehicles and houses were pelted with stones near the Jalori gate area. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony and has sent two ministers Rajendra Yadav and Subhash Garg to Jodhpur. The clashes triggered a war of words between Gehlot and the BJP.
Talking to reporters Gehlot on Wednesday accused the BJP of instigating riots on the “orders of its high command”.
Targeting BJP leaders, Gehlot said they are trying to defame the Congress party’s government in the state as they are “unable to digest peace”.
“The BJP is nervous. Therefore, they are instigating riots,” he told reporters in Udaipur.
“They have instructions from their high command to defame the Rajasthan government and create instability as much as they can,” the CM alleged.
Earlier on Tuesday, the BJP targeted the state government over law and order. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat claimed that police are working under pressure. Shekhawat threatened that he, along with other party leaders, will sit on a dharna at the Jalori gate circle if the rioters are not arrested.
State BJP president Satish Poonia had alleged that communal incidents are taking place “under the patronage of the state government.” He alleged that saffron flags were removed by anti-social elements and an Islamic flag put up on the statue of freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa.
—PTI