The curfew in riot-affected Karauli in Rajasthan has been extended till April 7, while the internet services will also remain shut down till further orders, a state government official today announced.
While CM Ashok Gehlot has accused the BJP of creating a law and order problem in the state, saying that the opposition party is deliberately misleading the people here, the BJP has accused the state government of intelligence failure and appeasement politics.
In the meantime, both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP have sent panels to Karauli who will give the ground zero reports to their parties.
Following the communal tension and incidents of arson and vandalism taking place in Karauli on 2 April 2022, the administration imposed a curfew in the city till midnight on April 4 which has now been it has now been extended till 7.
"We have extended the curfew till April 7 and internet services will also remain shut until the situation gets normal. We have formed Mohlla peace committees to normalise the situation in the city," said Rajendra Singh Shekhawat, the district collector of Karauli.
At least 42 people, including four police officials, were injured after some unidentified persons allegedly pelted stones at a motorcycle rally taken out as part of a religious procession in Rajasthan’s Karauli on Saturday, April 2.
At least 13 were arrested over their involvement in violence and were presented in court by the police. They have been remanded in custody for two days while the interrogation is underway.
In the meantime, the police are searching for an independent councillor Matloob Ahmed who is absconding after the incident.
The councillor has been accused of pelting stones at the rally and inciting violence. "The councillor has been named in the FIR and teams have been sent to arrest him," said Shailendra Singh, the Supridentent of Police.
Notably, the politics on the issue is heating in the state as CM Ashok Gehlot accused BJP leaders of instigating disturbance and uproar in the political arena following the Karauli incident. Gehlot said BJP raised proactive slogans in the name of religion adding that the visits of BJP leaders make it clear that BJP has brought Rajasthan into election mode.
"The communal riots and tension at different places in the state are beginning of the election mode," said Gehlot.
While in response, the BJP has accused the government of appeasement politics and intelligence failure in the state. The deputy leader of the opposition in the assembly Rajendra Rathor said, "it was a thought out conspiracy as stones and swords were stored in large numbers on the roofs where the stone-pelting happened, the police did not reach the spot until half an hour after the violence."
Rathore also accused the government of intelligence failure and said that the government was aware of this but did nothing to stop this in the name of appeasement politics.
