Rajasthan Police on Monday arrested seven more persons for their alleged involvement in the attack, taking the total number of those rounded up to 11.
Social activist Aruna Roy on Monday demanded the immediate arrest of BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena for allegedly leading a mob that attacked volunteers who were taking part in a road show in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan.
Roy, who said she has sought time from Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje for taking up the matter with her, also expressed anguish at the state government's response over the incident on Saturday. She further charged that the MLA has a "criminal background" as she sought his immediate arrest for the attack on members of the 'Jawabdehi (accountability) yatra' without any reason.
"There was no reason for the attack. Our members were peacefully conducting a 'nukkad natak' in the Aklera market when suddenly the MLA came with a mob of around 30-50 people and hit them with batons in front of all," claimed Roy.
"A few policemen were standing at the spot but they refused to help our members... The MLA has a criminal background and ours is the 25th FIR against him. How can a man with such a criminal background be given a ticket to become an MLA. This is not for a particular party, but all political parties should think about it," she said, adding that they have "sought time from the chief minister to take up the issue".
Roy said that the aim of the yatra was to "take feedback from people on general issues of governance, like pension and other schemes".
"We are meeting people and telling them that what their right is," she said.
Meanwhile, police on Monday arrested seven more persons for their alleged involvement in the attack, taking the total number of those rounded up to 11.
"The victims gave us a CD with a video of the incident. We are probing the matter and arrested seven people today. Four were arrested on the night of the incident and all of them are in police custody," said SP (Jhalawar), Rajendra Singh.
The role of the MLA is being probed and appropriate action will be taken, he added.
Another activist, Kavita Srivastava, alleged that the assailants used foul language with and slapped the female participants at the road show and claimed further that police, however, did not incorporate the appropriate sections of IPC in the FIR.
"This attack was to silence the voice which is demanding accountability. For us, he (Meena) is a criminal and should be arrested immediately," she said.
Activist Nikhil Dey said that action should also be taken against those who were patronising the MLA. He said that the attack had occurred in the high-profile Lok Sabha constituency of Raje's son Dushyant Singh and demanded that the MLA should not be helped in any way in the case. Meena, the ruling party MLA, was not available for his comments in this regard.
BJP state president Ashok Parnami had issued a notice yesterday to the MLA seeking a reply in seven days over the allegations against him. Around 12 RTI activists associated with noted anti-graft crusaders Roy and Dey were allegedly beaten up by a large group of people when they were conducting the road show in the Aklera area in Jhalawar on Saturday.
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 "Aruna Roy")
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