RAS Association launches pen-down strike

Tonk/Jaipur: Work across govt offices in the state was hit in the morning with officials of the RAS Association and allied services going on a pen-down strike demanding that Meena be arrested. They said they would continue till a meeting with Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers, including police vehicles, were torched in the violence that erupted outside the polling booth in Samravta in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency when police tried to prevent the dharna. About 60 people were arrested in the early hours of Thursday following the violence that also saw crowds pelting stones at police personnel. RAS Association General Secretary Neetu Rajeshwar said that what had happened was intolerable. “Such an incident is not tolerable. SDM Amit Chaudhary was slapped when he was doing his election duty fairly. The association is on a pen-down strike on Thursday. We will call off the strike after a representation with the chief minister on other demands. All our demands are constitutional ,” Rajeshwar said. “I will not surrender,” a defiant Meena told camera crews in Samravta after he was taken into custody. In a post on X after his arrest, Meena blamed the BJP-led government for the violence.

“Tonk district collector and CM Bhajanlal govt are responsible for the violence. Police should stop the barbaric behaviour with my colleagues and workers otherwise the spark which began in Deoli-Uniara will not take much time to spread to every corner of the state,” he said. Before his arrest, Meena also blamed Tonk District Collector Saumya Jha and SP Sangwan for what had happened.