BJP deliberately misleading people in Rajasthan: Gehlot

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday accused the BJP of creating a law and order problem in the state, saying that the opposition party is deliberately misleading the people .

Referring to violence in Karauli and BJP national president JP Nadda's visit to Sawai Madhopur, Gehlot said, "They (BJP leaders) come to set fire. They are setting the whole country on fire...He came and fire erupted. They are creating such an atmosphere."

Gehlot was talking to reporters after flagging off Mobile Investigation Unit vans of Rajasthan Police from the Secretariat here.

The BJP has been cornering the chief minister, who also holds Home portfolio, in the assembly and outside, for the rise in criminal activities in the state.

Gehlot said that the number of cases has increased after the state government made it mandatory to register FIR in the state. "When registration of an FIR is made mandatory, then the number will increase. We are being unnecessarily criticised," he said.

"As per the data of the National Crime Records Bureau, crime has come down in Rajasthan in 2019-20 and 2020-21. But opposition party leaders are deliberately misleading the people," the chief minister said.

Gehlot reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah should appeal to the people to establish peace in the country.

The chief minister said the entire country had hailed the prime minister when he had once said that lynching is a work of anti-social elements. But when the BJP or the RSS put pressure on him, he stopped speaking about it, Gehlot said.

A violence had erupted in Karauli on Saturday at a bike rally on Nav Samvatsar (Hindu New Year) passing by a Muslim-dominated area. The rally was taken out by right-wing organisations, including Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal, police had said. (PTI)