Hindu groups protest in Jaipur against Ashok Gehlot govt over road rage incident in Rajasthan

Streets of Rajasthan’s Jaipur were flooded with people belonging to Hindu organisations who were protesting against the Ashok Gehlot-led government following a road rage incident that led to the death of a 17-year-old boy.

The group demanded accountability from the Congress government in the state and sought justice for the victim of the accident.

#WATCH | Jaipur, Rajasthan: Hindu organisations hold protest against State Government over Jaipur road rage incident. pic.twitter.com/0FPZVQ7Cf7

— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) October 4, 2023

How did the boy die?

On Friday, a 17-year-old boy named Iqbal was allegedly murdered after his bike collided with another vehicle. CCTV footage shows that after his bike hit the other motorcycle, Iqbal fell and injured himself. As he sat on the sidewalk, a man came and slapped Iqbal.

“Two motorcycles had collided and (one of the) two persons, who had stopped to see it, was assaulted by the locals. There was no motive, it was just some misunderstanding,” Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph said.

Relatives of Iqbal claim that he was murdered by the men after being hit by a rod on the head.

The incident triggered communal tensions in the state. Angry locals on Saturday erupted into protests and shut down shut shops in parts of Subhash Chowk and Ramganj.

Additional police had to be deployed to maintain law and order in the area.

According to Indian Express, Iqbal’s mother Naima Khatoon said, “He had gone to his grandmother’s place with his brother for a daawat (feast). I want the people who killed my child to be hanged at the same place they killed him. He was born after a mannat (prayer) of 14 years and hadn’t even turned 18. He was just 17.”

BJP reacts

Bharatiya Janata Party National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala accused the Rajasthan government of giving the incident of the road a “communal colour.”

“An unfortunate road rage case is given communal colour by ecosystem & then an attack is launched on shops & establishments of majority community & the perpetrators are not taken to the task despite evidence!!” Poonawala said.

Gehlot is running a Mughlai Mindset govt

Instead of acting on rioters & apradhis it gives full protection to such elements in name of votebank

An unfortunate road rage case is given communal colour by ecosystem & then an attack is launched on shops & establishments of… https://t.co/0MA3T3tXdM pic.twitter.com/lEhBcuXEkL

— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) October 4, 2023

He added, “How long will this go on? Giving PFI a free run sometimes, sometimes allowing ISIS-style executions in Rajasthan, allowing rioters to have a free run.”