“I have spoken to DG police. Police and administration are present there. I appeal to the public to maintain peace and stay away from miscreants who are present in every religion,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Gehlot’s statement comes after communal clashes broke out in Karauli in which 35 people were injured. The clashes, according to news agency PTI, broke out after stones were pelted at a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate the Hindu new year – Nav Samvatsar.
The rally was passing via a Muslim dominated area in Karauli – which is 170 km from Jaipur – when stones were pelted at it. This led to clashes between two groups after which several shops and a bike were burnt.
n a statement, the Rajasthan Police said that out of the 35 injured, nine are admitted to the Karauli district hospital, one in Jaipur, while others have been discharged.
It also said that a curfew has been imposed and mobile internet services have been snapped, but stressed that the situation is under control.
The police further said that 600 policemen, including 50 officers of the ranks of deputy superintendent of police and inspector, are deployed in Karauli to maintain peace and order.
36 people have been detained, said Rajasthan Additional Director General of Police (ADG) (Law and Order) Hawa Singh Ghumaria.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Satish Poonia had held the Congress government responsible for the incident.
“Congress government’s appeasement policy is responsible for it. No arrest has been made so far. It was a planned attack on the bike rally which was organised on Hindu new year,” Poonia had alleged.
Former chief minister and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje also condemned the incident, and said the “hate mentality” cannot be allowed to flourish in Rajasthan.
