Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has claimed a BJP conspiracy behind the SDM slapping incident at Deoli-Uniara assembly segment during the recently-held bypolls in the state.
Independent candidate Naresh Meena had slapped Sub Divisional Magistrate Amit Chaudhary at a polling station in the Deoli-Uniara assembly on Wednesday.
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Talking to media on Thursday, Gehlot noted, “I wonder why he (Meena) entered the fray as an independent candidate when he was already associated with the Congress. Who instigated him to contest the polls? Was it done by the BJP to ensure its own win?”
He said the Rajasthan Congress Committee (PCC) will look into the matter.
Gehlot is the AICC senior poll observer for Mumbai and Konkan regions in the Maharashtra assembly election and presently performing his task there. He landed in Jodhpur on Thursday to attend the funeral of his long-time close associate Kesu Singh Gehlot and flew back to Mumbai later in afternoon.
The senior Congress leader termed the slapping incident “unfortunate” and “highly unusual”.
“How can anyone dare to do such an act and why did the situation go to this extent in the first place? These are serious questions and need answers. The incident has also eroded the trust in the government,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, former BJP state president and Chittorgarh MP C P Joshi also called the incident as unfortunate. He, however, said Meena has a long political future, hence he should have not resort to this way to express his protest and annoyance.
“There are many acceptable ways in democracy to protest and raise a voice of dissent,” he added.
