The politics in election-bound Rajasthan has heated up after Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje's Gaurav yatra faced series of protests on Saturday. Raje's yatra had faced stone pelting and sloganeering in the second phase of her yatra at Osian and Peepad city of Jodhpur division.
Facing series of protest, Raje has targeted former Chief Minister and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot, blaming him for instigating the protest in the Jodhpur region which is considered to be the bastion of Gehlot. In retaliation, Gehlot says that the protests and attacks on yatra seem to be the BJP's own conspiracy to attract attention towards Raje's Yatra. Rajasthan's chief minister Vasundhara Raje's Gaurav Yatra had faced a bumpy ride in Jodhpur on Saturday.
While Raje was addressing a public meeting in Osian, some people, reportedly from Rajput community, shouted anti-Raje slogans before being dispersed by police. After the meeting when she was on the way to Bawari village to address a meeting, stones were pelted at her cavalcade, breaking window panes of the car in which state Health Minister, Kalicharan Saraf was travelling.
The situation became even tenser when Raje's rath reached Peepad city at 9 PM when some alleged Congress supporters started waiving black flags in front of the rath and shouted slogans in favour of Ashok Gehlot. After a while, stone pelting started again in front of the Dak Bungalow area. When some stones hit Raje's rath, the chief minister instructed the police to catch hold of the protesters but the had fled by then.
Addressing the people during the protest, she targeted Ashok Gehlot and alleged that the stone pelting at the yatra is being done on the behest of Gehlot. But she continued by saying that she would not be deterred by it, and that the people of the state have already decided who to vote for. She said: It's the people who are fearing the defeat who are pelting stones, these are people who have done nothing for the state in their rule. Those who are trying to scare a woman and can't be part of the civil society, are forgetting that woman power is not going to be held back from all the hooliganism. And it will be my good luck if I lose my life for my people."
Former CM Gehlot reacted sharply at Raje's allegations and criticized the attack on Raje's yatra. Defending his party workers Gehlot said that the congress can't indulge in these type of activities and it might be a BJP propaganda. Gehlot further attacked Raje on woman power saying, "Raje talks about women power (Nari Shakti), but the state has created a record in rapes, injustice, and atrocities against women and here she talks about women power. She need not fear but govern the state so that the women could be saved."
During the afternoon when Raje was addressing a meeting in Osian town, a young crowd had raised slogans against local BJP MLA and tore apart Raje's posters. They blocked roads after CM's address and it became difficult for the police to control the protesters. At Shergrah, protesters raised slogans against Babulal Rathore sitting MLA from there.
According to a local BJP leader the miscreants were believed to be the supporters of independent MLA Hanuman Beniwal. Ahead of assembly polls, Raje is touring Rajasthan through her 'Gaurav Yatra' which began in Udaipur division on 4th of August but in the second phase of the yatra in Jodhpur she is facing opposition from day one. With elections around the corner, the BJP is facing stiff opposition from Rajput community, particularly in Marwar region and many see their anger as the trigger for the protests now.
The Rajputs are angry with the saffron party over different issues including encounter of Chatur Singh by Jaisalmer police and denying ticket to senior BJP leader and former union finance minister Jaswant Singh in last Loksabha elections. Raje's decision to oppose Jodhpur MP and Union minister Gajendra Singh as party's state president was also not well received by the Rajput community.