Bharat Bandh violence: Police seek list of on-leave govt staff
:The Rajasthan government has decided to take strict against employees involved in acts of vandalism or those provoked violence during the Bharat Bandh on April 2.
The police have sought a list of government employees who were on leave on April 2 from the district administration. The police said that the list will help them identify those employees who were involved in violence during the bandh and action will be taken accordingly.
Hundreds of government employees from the SC/ST community had taken leave on April 2 and participated in the bandh. It has now come to the fore that many government employees were involved in instigating violence.
While confirming the report, Gagandeep Singla, superintendent of police in Barmer, said that he had sought a report from the district administration about the government employees who were on leave during the bandh on April 2. Singla said that he had requested the district collector to provide a list of such employees.
“On the basis of video footage and other information available with the police, we will trace the employees who were involved in violence and action will be taken,” he said.
Those government employees, who participated in the bandh, are now scared of joining work and fear that the police might arrest them.
A day after the bandh, when the police started arresting the culprits, sweepers at the Barmer municipal council went on mass leave. Later, the authorities assured them that no action will be taken against innocent people. The authorities assured them that action will only be taken against those who have taken the law into their hands.
Despite the assurance, only half employees came back and the other half is still on leave. A similar situation exists in education and other departments. Many teachers have not joined duty fearing police action.
Like the Barmer police, their counterparts in Jalore and Nagaur have also started taking action. Station house officer in Medta police station in Nagaur has written to the block education officer, Medta, to provide a list of teachers who were on leave on April 2.
The nationwide bandh on April 2 was called by Dalit organisations to protest the Supreme Court’s ruling that, they say, dilutes the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act.
Nine persons were killed in the country, including one in Rajasthan, during the nationwide bandh.
After the bandh, hundreds of cases have been registered throughout the state against those involved in miscreant activities. Acting on registered cases, the police have arrested many accused. More than 60 people have been arrested in Barmer while around 500 have been booked in 17 cases registered at various police stations in the district.
BARMER