Police have arrested Naresh Meena in Tonk, Rajasthan, for slapping an SDM. This led to separate protests by his supporters and the Rajasthan Administrative Service officers. The tension began when Naresh Meena, contesting as an independent candidate in the by-election, grabbed SDM Malpura Amit Chaudhary's collar and slapped him in front of cameras. The unrest continued throughout the night and into Thursday morning, affecting work in state government offices.
IG Om Prakash informed Aaj Tak that around 60 suspects have been detained in relation to the incident. The primary accused, Naresh Meena, faces over two dozen charges and is a wanted criminal in several districts including Jaipur and Baran. Files will be reopened in all these cases, and he will be apprehended. Approximately a dozen police personnel were injured, but the situation is now completely peaceful.
Note that Tonk's SP, along with a heavy police force, proceeded to arrest Naresh Meena in his village, where he was staging a sit-in with his supporters. During this, Naresh Meena refused to surrender, claiming he would not do so unless his conditions were met. However, the police arrested Naresh Meena in front of the media.
Naresh Meena accused the SDM of allowing fraudulent voting to favor the BJP candidate, alleging that people in the village were boycotting the vote. He also claimed the SDM threatened an Anganwadi worker, her husband, and a teacher with job loss if they did not vote.
