Maintain peace; culprits won’t be spared, says MoS Yadav

Jaipur: With the henious murder of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur shocking the nation, Rajasthan’s Minister of State for Home Rajendra Yadav spoke to First India and stressed that efforts have been made to ensure that no untoward incidents occur in the state. Excerpts:

What were the points of discussion in the high-level meeting on Udaipur and what decisions have been taken?
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot cut short his Jodhpur tour and reached Jaipur where he chaired the meeting with senior police officials. It was decided that the matter would be handed over to NIA since there is a terrorism angle in it. Secondly, to ensure that peace prevails in the tate and no untoward incident occurs, SPs have been directed to remain vigilant and senior officials have also been made accountable for districts. Thirdly, I would like to appeal to the people not to get carried away and have patience. One policeman has got injured in the agitation in Rajsamand so we need not get excited. Everyone should try to let peace prevail and maintain law and order. The Rajasthan government is committed to your security and I would like to ensure that the culprits will not be spared. To ensure that such incidents do not occur in future, we will take strict action.

Over the past sometime, several incidents have occurred which have raised a finger at state’s intelligence. This incident too points towards intelligence failure?
See, when something happens, the negative aspects are highlighted first. There is no shortfall in our intelligence, our policing is good. Take it from me there is an atmosphere of fear across the nation. What has happened in the state over the past sometime, I dont consider it to be right and people of the state should mull over it. The police and home department has left no stone unturned, whether it was the Jodhpur incident or Karauli violence and fair investigation has been done and all culprits are behind bars.

There are input that the two men arrested for murder had also gone to Pakistan and Nepal?

One of the duo had gone to Karachi in Pakistan in the year 2014-15 and stayed there for 45 days. After that too he has had regular contacts there with 8-10 individuals. He also travelled to Nepal and also to one Arab nation. So we are investigating that aspect and the matter has been handed over to NIA too and strict action will be taken.

CM Gehlot has called an all party meeting but the rival parties claim that Hindu is not here as Rajasthan has become like Taliban ruled region?
When the opposition was in power, even then they used to talk like opposition. It is not the time to point at each other’s shortcomings rather it is time to ensure that peace and law and order prevails in the state. It is a heartwrenching incident and instead of playing politics, they should have appealed to people to maintain peace and law and order and then if they found some shortfall, then CM Ashok Gehlot have told them that they can meet and discuss over the incident. Instead of giving public statements, they should have gone in the facts of the matter.