At least 15 BJP Mahila Morcha activists were injured here on Wednesday during a protest against the Gehlot government. The activists were protesting near Civil Lines against growing rape cases, crime and atrocities in Rajasthan.

During the protests, scores of women activists courted arrest.

About ten of the injured Mahlila Morcha workers were rushed to the SMS Hospital and a private hospital where they were given first aid, a BJP Media Coordinator Pankaj Joshi told The Statesman.

As part of the agitation against the state government the Mahila workers gathered outside the BJP office banging ‘Steel Thali or Parat” (kitchen utensils) as a symbolic wakeup call to the sleeping Congress government. Later, they proceeded to Civil Lines rail crossing to hold a demonstration outside the Chief Minister Residence, but women police did not allow them to break security cordon installed under section 144 of CrPC.

There was a scuffle between the women security personnel and the activists in which many of them pushed away by the force. However, no lathi charge or water cannons were used, a senior officer of the Jaipur Police Commissionerate said.

During the brawl, Bharatpur MP Ranjita Koli, state president of Mahila Morcha Alka Mundra, along with many workers, fainted due to muggy weather. She has been admitted to SMS Hospital.

Earlier, there was a jostling around among the workers to snatch ‘thali/parat/plate being distributed in the BJP office as the plates fell short.

Earlier, in-charge of Mahila Morcha and MP Diya Kumari alleged, “Rajasthan is number 1 in the case of rape. People are calling the state Repisthan. It is a matter of shame for us. The responsibility of law and order rests with the state government. The Home Department is kept by the chief minister with himself. But, he is engaged in saving his chair for four and a half years. In such a situation, the women of the state never got the protection they were expecting from the government”.

A number of local party leaders rushed to the hospitals to meet the injured women workers. The media coordinator said they were all out of danger and not received serious injuries except for some bruises and weakness due to slutry weather conditions.