Man killed in violence at rally in Rajasthan

Even as police booked 18 Rajput leaders for allegedly inciting violence at Sanvrad village in Rajasthan’s Nagaur district on Wednesday evening, the uppercaste community decided to undertake a march to Jaipur — setting the stage for a direct confrontation with the state’s BJP government.

Violence had erupted in the midst of a condolence meeting for gangster Anandpal Singh at his village, over two weeks after he was killed in a police encounter. A man died and 32 others were injured in the mayhem, and police arrested as many as 200 people on various charges the following morning.

The agitators were demanding a CBI probe into the circumstances surrounding the gangster’s death.

Singh — who was idolised by the members of his community — faced trial in 20 cases, including five murders. He was killed on June 24, nearly two years after his escape from police custody in September 2015.

The latest stand-off is bound to raise electoral concerns for the BJP, considering that Rajputs constitute about 10% of the state’s population. Though the community supported the saffron party in the previous assembly election, they are now convinced that the Vasundhara Raje government is increasingly leaning towards backward sections and the more dominant Jats. Meanwhile, 19 days after Singh’s killing, his family finally cremated the body on Thursday evening.

CONTINUED ON P 6