Curfew imposed in Rajasthan’s Karauli after clash during bike rally

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“Hindu outfits were taking out a religious bike rally on the occasion of Hindu new year today evening. While the procession reached near a mosque, some miscreants pelted stones on them. This resulted in stone pelting and arson by the other side too in which a few two-wheelers and shops were torched. The situation is under control now and a large number of police personnel have been deployed,” said ADG Administration and Law and Order, Hawa Singh Ghumaria on Saturday.

Curfew imposed in Rajasthan’s Karauli after a bike rally to mark #NavSamvatsar was pelted with stones, leading to arson.

Several bikes and over a dozen shops have been set on fire and 650 additional police personnel are being deployed to maintain law and order.@IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/4IFmf5FMXk

— Hamza Khan (@Hamzwa) April 2, 2022

Ghumaria added that people from both sides sustained injuries during the incident.

“More than 20 people sustained injuries. Most of the injuries are minor in nature. One person sustained injuries in the head and has been referred to Jaipur in a critical condition. We have rounded up two dozen people and curfew has been imposed in the area,” Ghumaria added.

Shops that were torched during the clash in Karauli on Saturday. (Express)

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot spoke to the DGP and has directed that all guilty be dealt with strictly. Gehlot also appealed to the public to maintain peace.

The opposition BJP criticised the government over the incident.

“I strongly condemn the attack on the rally in Karauli on the occasion of Nav Samvatsar by people from opposing mentality. Hateful mindset can’t be allowed to grow in Rajasthan. The administration should take strong action against the culprits,” tweeted former chief minister Vasundhara Raje in Hindi.

Raje said that had the administration taken caution before the rally, the incident could have been avoided.

“The harmony deteriorated also because of the laxity of the administration,” said Raje.

State BJP president Satish Poonia also criticised the government and said that incident is a result of the Congress’s policy of ‘appeasement’.

ADG Ghumaria added that senior police officers including IG Bharatpur, IG Law and Order have been sent to Karauli.

“Extra force of around 600 police personnel have been sent to Karauli. Fire brigade has controlled the fire at most of the shops which were targeted during the arson,” said Ghumaria.

Meanwhile, the Karauli administration wrote a letter to the Bharatpur divisional commissioner, requesting that internet services be suspended in the district till April 3 midnight.

— With PTI inputs