Following his arrest for slapping an SDM in Rajasthan, Naresh Meena managed to escape police custody. As an independent candidate from Tonk district’s Deoli-Uniara seat, Naresh's arrest led to severe unrest among his supporters who resorted to stone-pelting and set police vehicles on fire.
On Wednesday, voting took place in seven assembly seats of the state. During this, independent candidate Naresh Meena slapped the SDM on the Deoli-Uniara seat, inciting the chaos, which escalated further post-arrest when supporters became aggressive, leading to clashes with the police.
What Led to the Slap on the SDM?
During the by-election on the Deoli-Uniara seat in Tonk district, Congress rebel and independent candidate Naresh Meena slapped SDM Amit Kumar Chaudhary of Malpura. Naresh Meena alleged that the election symbol on the EVM machine was not visible properly and appeared faint. This dispute led to a heated argument, after which Naresh lost his temper and slapped the SDM. Naresh Meena demanded the collector visit the spot to ensure their grievances were addressed with some assurances.
Accused Naresh Meena Arrested, Chaos Ensues in the Village
Dispute Escalates Over Food and Mattresses
It was reported that when the police attempted to stop a pickup truck carrying food and mattresses for the protesting supporters of Naresh Meena, tensions soared. Naresh clashed with SP Sangwan during the episode. As the police tried to detain Naresh Meena, his supporters created an uproar, allowing him to escape amidst the chaos. Subsequently, stone-pelting and arson further deteriorated the situation.
Destruction of Police Vehicles Followed by Fire
To maintain order, the police resorted to baton charging and firing tear gas. In this chaos, Naresh Meena's supporters set fires in piles of dry fodder kept in the village, besides torching two police vehicles, another car, and around 10 motorcycles. Many policemen were injured during stone-pelting by the mob.
Congress Expels Naresh Meena, Currently Running Independently from Deoli-Uniara
These Rajasthan Seats Witnessed By-elections
On November 13, voting occurred in seven assembly seats of Rajasthan - Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinwsar, Chaurasi, Salumber, and Ramgarh. Results will be declared on November 23. Of these seats, four were held by Congress, while BJP and BAP RLP held one each. By-elections on two seats are due to the demise of the sitting legislators, Congress's Zubair Khan (Ramgarh) and BJP's Amritlal Meena (Salumber).
