Jaipur, April 2
Around 35 people were injured, one of them critically, in communal clashes that erupted in Rajastna’s Karauli city following stone-pelting at a motorcycle rally passing through a Muslim-dominated area on Nav Samvatsar, the first day of the new year in Hindu calendar on Saturday, officials said.
The communal clashes and arsons prompted authorities to impose a curfew and deploy over 600 policemen along with at least 50 senior police officers to control the situation in the city, they said.
“The curfew has been imposed in the city. An additional police force has also been deployed to maintain law and order,” Karauli District Magistrate Rajendra Singh Shekhawat said.
Terming the situation in the city as “tense but under control”, he said some incidents of arson took place at some places.
“Around 35 people suffered injuries. Of them, around 10 are under treatment at a local hospital. One injured person was referred to a Jaipur SMS Hospital in critical condition while the rest were discharged after primary treatment,” the police control room said.
It said a rally passing through a Muslim-dominated area on the occasion of the first day of the new year under the Hindu calendar, some miscreants pelted stones at it, leading to an eruption of communal clashes in which a few two-wheelers and shops were torched.
Amid the communal tension in the city, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to the state police chief from Barmer and sought details of the incident.
He directed strict action in the matter and appealed to people to maintain peace and cooperate in maintaining law and order.
“Police officers, including Bharatpur IGP Prashan Kumar Khamesra and Karauli SP Shailendra Singh rushed to the spot and an additional police force was deployed to control the situation,” the PCR said.
Rajasthan DGP ML Lather has also deployed ADG Sanjib Kumar, IG Bharat Lal Meena, Jaipur’s Crime Branch DIG Rahul Prakash and DCP, Jaipur South, Mridul Kachawa in Karauli, it added.
Police headquarters sources said around 600 policemen, including 50 officers, have been deployed to maintain law and order in Karauli.
BJP state president Satish Poonia held the Congress government responsible for the incident.
“The Congress government’s appeasement policy is responsible for it. No arrest has been made so far. It was a planned attack at the bike rally which was organised on the Hindu new year,” Poonia said.
