BJP MP held for disturbing peace in Raj, say police
JAIPUR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Kirori Meena was held on Sunday on charges of disturbing peace after he hoodwinked heavy security to unfurl a white tribal flag at the temple situated in Rajasthan’s Ambagarh fort, days after members of the Meena community pulled down a saffron flag hoisted there by Hindutva organisations.
The 18th-century fort is at the centre of the dispute between the Meena Scheduled Tribe (ST) community and Hindutva organisations, which intensified when few people hoisted a saffron flag on an electric pole on the premises of the fort. The Meenas consider the fort sacred.
Members of the Meena community, allegedly led by independent MLA Ramkesh Meena, had gathered at the fort, took down the flag and accused Hindutva outfits of trying to tamper with the tribal culture. Cross FIRs were lodged at the Transport Nagar police station on July 22 in this regard. After the incident of tearing down the saffron flag, Kirori called for an agitation at the temple on Sunday and demanded action against Ramkesh for allegedly trying to disturb harmony.
In the wee hours on Sunday, Kirori, along with a dozen supporters, climbed up around 3km during heavy rainfall and placed the flag on a parapet of the fort located on hills near Galta on the Jaipur-Agra highway.
Soon after he entered, police officials held the Rajya Sabha MP for questioning. “Meena has been held for disturbing the peace. The entry into the fort was not allowed and security was deployed for the same,” said Additional Commissioner of Police, Ajay Pal Lamba.
The fort comes under the jurisdiction of the forest department and no one except for designated officials are allowed entry, an official added.
Kirori, however, posted on Twitter that he was arrested.
“I have been arrested from the Ambagarh fort,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.
Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje condemned Kirori’s arrest and demanded his immediate release.
Ramkesh Meena, meanwhile, criticised Meena’s act, saying: “There would have been no dispute if Kirori would have stated that he is going to put the community flag and not saffron. The community flag is already there.”
He added that the incident came to light a few days back, when members of the Surajpole unit of Rajasthan Adivasi Meena Seva Sangh informed them about the saffron flag at the fort.”