Independent candidate Naresh Meena, assaulted SDM Amit Chaudhary at polling booth in Deoli-Uniyara, Samravata village.
Independent candidate Naresh Meena, assaulted SDM Amit Chaudhary at polling booth in Deoli-Uniyara, Samravata village.

During the assembly by-election, Naresh Meena was taken into custody by police for slapping the SDM. There was commotion all the way from Deoli-Uniyara in Tonk district to the Secretariat in Jaipur in this instance. Following Naresh Meena’s arrest, fans in Samravata and neighboring villages caused chaos in demonstration, burning numerous vehicles, throwing stones at the police on Tonk-Sawai Madhopur National Highway, and obstructing the road with burning tires.

The authorities shot tear gas canisters and used violence to disperse the crowd. There was a blockade on Highway 116 near Aligarh on the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur road. During Naresh Meena’s transportation post-arrest, the rioters threw stones at the vehicle and shattered its glass. Over 30 vehicles and numerous houses were set on fire in the arson attack. More than 14 policemen and villagers sustained injuries. Over 60 individuals involved in the riot were taken into custody. At the secretariat, Rajasthan Administrative Service officers staged a pen-down strike organized by the RSS Association and protested in front of the Gandhi statue. They arrived in the evening to see Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, but the meeting did not happen.

On Wednesday during the voting process in Deoli-Uniyara, independent candidate Naresh Meena physically assaulted SDM Amit Chaudhary by slapping him and grabbing his arm at the polling booth in Samravata village. Following the event, Naresh was arrested by the police during the night, leading to a rise in disturbance. Over 30 vehicles were set on fire during clashes involving lathicharge and stone throwing. Naresh managed to get away from the police while in custody. Upon Naresh’s return to the village Thursday morning, he was surrounded by the police and taken into custody in the afternoon.

Following that, the protesters became upset and obstructed Tonk-Sawaimadhopur Highway 116’s Uniara-Aligarh road and Gulabpura Bhilwara Highway 148-D Highway, as well as other roads such as the nearby Samrawata, Gulabpura, and Kachrawata villages, demonstrating their dissatisfaction by setting tires on fire. The police responded to the stone pelting by firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

Nevertheless, the fans persisted in returning to the highway repeatedly and continued causing disturbance. The authorities resorted to violence in order to remove them. The troublemakers also assaulted the reporters who arrived to report on the incident and damaged the camera. On Thursday night, Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena arrived at Samrawata village to assess the situation. He requested that the police officers refrain from apprehending individuals who are innocent.

District Collector Saumya Jha stayed at the district headquarters on both Wednesday and Thursday. She continued gathering information about the case over the phone but did not arrive at the scene. Police officers, including Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan, worked together to manage the situation in the district.

Deputy Inspector General Om Prakash reported that Naresh Meena, an independent candidate, is facing 23 registered cases across different police stations in the state. He is being sought after in numerous instances. He hails from Motpur district Baran originally. Following the conflict in Samravata village, Naresh Meena now faces an additional 4 charges. In this instance, Malpura Sub-Divisional Officer and Area Magistrate Amit Chaudhary has filed a case under different sections such as assault and obstructing government work.

Deputy Inspector General Om Prakash of the Ajmer Range stated to the magazine that the fire destroyed 25 motorcycles, 7 cars, and a jeep. Several vehicles were observed on fire until Thursday morning. At the same time, numerous homes were also consumed by the flames. Because of this, the items stored in the homes were set on fire.

Law enforcement authorities have detained 60 troublemakers in connection to the vandalism and rock throwing incidents that occurred during the by-election. They were brought to the police station in Lambaharisingh. There is a strong police presence in that area.