The political atmosphere in Rajasthan's Rajsamand district has heated up significantly in the wake of demonstrations held during the recent local body elections. Following protests linked to the electoral process, local authorities registered a case at the Rajnagar police station against 19 individuals belonging to the Kumawat community for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. This legal action has triggered widespread resentment and anger within the community. Enraged community members have issued a direct warning to the district administration, declaring that if these FIRs are not completely withdrawn by the specified deadline of September 30, they will take extreme steps. They stated that they will march to the collectorate along with their children and livestock to stage an indefinite jail bharo agitation. This entire controversy has also raised serious questions regarding the neutrality and fairness of the local police administration, as residents have openly alleged that authorities adopted a lenient approach in other major incidents.
The Background of Councillor Sequestration and SP Office Protests
According to available details, multiple councillors from the Kumawat community emerged victorious in the local elections. However, immediately after their victory, their families lost contact with these councillors for two to three days. The community strongly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of forcefully detaining and isolating their elected representatives. To protest this alleged action, a large number of community members gathered outside the office of the Superintendent of Police and submitted a formal written complaint. A core demand put forward by the gathering was that since such a large number of councillors had won from their community for the first time, the upcoming post of chairperson for the Rajsamand Municipal Council should be given to a representative from the Kumawat community. During these demonstrations, protestors staged a sit-in outside the SP office, raised slogans against local MLA Deepti Maheshwari, and even ate their dinner while sitting on the public road. Approximately four to five days after this incident, the police registered a case against 19 individuals. The Kumawat community now contends that this case has not just been filed against 19 people, but against the entire community, which they refuse to accept.
Accusations of Double Standards Regarding Congress Protests
Voicing their anger over what they termed as a double standard by the police, members of the Kumawat community questioned whether the model code of conduct rules applied exclusively to them. The community pointed out that during the same election period, workers and leaders from the Congress party had also staged aggressive protests outside the Rajsamand SP office late into the night. The Congress party had alleged at the time that one of their candidates was physically assaulted by ruling party workers and that the police were acting in a one-sided manner. The central question raised by the Kumawat community is why the code of conduct regulations were not enforced against those who demonstrated outside the SP office that night. Responding to these concerns, senior police officials stated that counter-reports have been registered from both sides regarding the Congress-linked protest and a thorough investigation is currently underway.
Questions Raised Over the Ananta Hospital Highway Blockade
Apart from these election-related protests, a third incident has also become a major talking point across the district. A few days ago, a patient passed away while undergoing medical treatment at the privately run Ananta Hospital located within the Delwara police station area. Family members of the deceased were staging a peaceful sit-in protest demanding appropriate compensation. However, in an alleged attempt to intimidate and pressure the grieving family, the hospital management reportedly deployed its staff members and medical students onto the street. This action resulted in a complete traffic blockade on the heavily congested Udaipur-Jaipur highway for several hours. The police eventually arrived at the scene and cleared the traffic after considerable effort. In this serious matter, the police allegedly let the hospital management off with a mere warning and ultimatum. Ordinary citizens and community members are now questioning whether verbal persuasion is sufficient punishment for a serious cognizable offense like blocking a national highway. With all three controversies drawing intense scrutiny, the working style of the Rajsamand police has become a central topic of discussion, and the administration remains on high alert ahead of the potential jail bharo movement on September 30.
