A large number of BJP leaders and workers staged a protest against the Congress government in Rajasthan on Tuesday with the police using water cannons to prevent them from marching to the state secretariat in Jaipur.
The demonstration was held under the party's "Nahi Sahega Rajasthan" (Rajasthan will not tolerate) campaign in the run-up to the assembly polls expected to be held in November-December.
A large number of party workers from various parts of the state joined the protest. They charged that the secretariat has become a centre of corruption.
BJP leaders addressed the workers outside the party office and marched towards the secretariat. While the main march reached the Statue Circle via Chomu Circle, a group of workers reached Ambedkar Circle. The secretariat is located on the road from Statue Circle to Ambedkar Circle.
There was a heavy deployment of police at the Statue Circle while the number of police personnel at the Ambedkar Circle was comparatively lower. However, the police prevented the party workers from marching ahead.
At the Statue Circle, the party workers crossed one row of barricades and moved towards the second row. To prevent them, the police used water cannons.
#WATCH | Jaipur: Police use water canon on BJP workers protesting against the Ashok Gehlot-led Government over the alleged corruption, atrocities against women, crumbling law and order and unemployment under CM Ashok Gehlot-led administration. pic.twitter.com/TYhFYV71zd
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 1, 2023
After the protest, the party leaders courted arrest.
While the party workers marched on foot, BJP state president C P Joshi, leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore, deputy leader of opposition Satish Poonia, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other leaders were on a "rath" (mini bus) behind them.
They later sat on a dharna at the Statue Circle in protest against the state government.
"People are ready to throw out the government in elections. The secretariat has become a centre of corruption. Cash was found in almirah at the secretariat but no action was taken against the main culprits," BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena charged.
A large number of women leaders and workers also took part in the march.
A police official said that the situation was efficiently handled by police personnel and no force except water cannon was used.
"It was a political demonstration and there was no action like lathi-charge.... Only water cannons were used," Kunwar Rashtradeep, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) of the Jaipur Police Commissionerate, said.