In what can be seen as a major embarrassment for the Rajasthan Congress government, one of its own MLA and former Director General of Police (DGP), Harish Meena, launched an indefinite hunger strike against his own government in Rajasthan.
Meena was reportedly protesting against the death of a tractor driver who was allegedly thrashed by policemen in Tonk district on Wednesday.
The Congress MLA miffed with the state government, alleged that even after his dharna the state government is not doing anything to bring the perpetrators to justice. Meena has been sitting on a hunger strike for the last three days demanding justice for a truck driver named Bhajanlal Meena, who died under suspicious circumstances in Laxmipura village in Tonk district.
देवली उनियारा विधायक श्री हरीश चंद्र मीना जी द्वारा टोंक जिले के भ्रष्ट पुलिस प्रशासन के खिलाफ नगरफोर्ट में चल रहा धरना तीसरे दिन भी जारी रहा।
विधायक महोदय आज सुबह 10 बजे से आमरण अनशन पर बैठेंगे।https://t.co/eLHw0ADGVz@INCIndia @RahulGandhi @INCRajasthan @ashokgehlot51 pic.twitter.com/s76dc6jMbc— Harish Chandra Meena (@HC_meenaMP) June 1, 2019
While the cops have termed Bhajanlal’s death as ‘accidental’ the family members and protestors have claimed that he was brutally assaulted by the cops due to which he died.
The MLA is sitting on dharna with the protestors and the family members of the deceased in Nagarfort village along with the body of Bhajanlal.
Addressing the media, before starting his hunger strike, Harish Meena said that he had conveyed his message to the state government but nothing happened in the last three days after which he started his indefinite hunger strike.
Meanwhile, taking a jibe at the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government BJP MLA and deputy leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore claimed that the state government’s days were numbered as even its own MLAs are forced to sit on dharna against their own government.
Moreover, BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Kirorilal Meena who arrived at the venue of the dharna announced that a huge protest will be launched on June 5 if the demands of the protestors are not met.
The Congress government in Rajasthan, due to its unfulfilled promises and self-absorption lost the momentum it had gained in the Assembly elections in December 2018. Coming as a big embarrassment to the party, Congress in Rajasthan drew a blank in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.