Rajasthan bypolls: Violence erupts outside polling booth in Tonk; stones pelted at police
14 Nov 2024 10:57 AM IST
Violence erupted outside a polling booth in Tonk district
Jaipur: Violence erupted outside a polling booth in Tonk district -- where bypolls were being held -- when alleged supporters of Independent candidate Naresh Meena pelted stones at police and set ablaze at least one vehicle on Wednesday night. This happened after the police force tried to remove Meena and his supporters who were on a dharna while voting for bypolls were being held outside a polling station in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency.
IG Ajmer Omprakash said heavy police force deployment was made in the village. The exact number of vehicles burnt will be clear after the mob is dispersed, he said, adding that there was confirmation of one vehicle being set ablaze by the mob. Police are engaged in bringing law and order under control, the officer said.
Stones were pelted at the police who lobbed tear gas shells to control the situation.
Hundreds of people were present at the dharna outside a polling station in which Meena earlier in the day had slapped an RAS officer engaged in election duty.
He later sat on a dharna outside a polling booth in Samravta village and asked his supporters to gather at the dharna with sticks.
After polling was over, police asked Meena and his supporters to disperse from outside the polling station so that the polling party could leave the station with EVM machines. However, police said, they turned violent and pelted stones at police.
Meena slapped SDM Malpura Amit Chaudhary for making efforts to get more people to vote while locals had boycotted polling over a demand. Meena was supporting the villagers.
RAS officers' association has demanded the arrest of Meena and warned of a pen-down strike from Thursday across the state if he was not arrested.
Polling for bypolls on seven assembly seats, including Deoli-Uniara, was held today from 7 am to 6 pm and counting will take place on November 23.
Naresh Meena, a Congress rebel, contested the election from Deoli-Uniara as an independent candidate.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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