Ashok Gehlot attacks Madhya Pradesh govt

Jaipur: Targeting the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh over demolition of homes of alleged rioters, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said nobody had the right to do so without an investigation and urged people not to tolerate those who act against the Constitution.

Speaking at an event on the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, Gehlot said "if rulers run bulldozers, where will the country's Constitution be."

His comments came a day after the Congress accused the ruling BJP in MP of "sponsoring" the recent communal violence in parts of that state during Ram Navami and alleged that houses of riot accused were razed without due legal process. Gehlot also hit out at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya for trying to visit violence-hit Karauli town in Rajasthan on Wednesday and said "the BJP people work to ignite fire".

Surya had compared Gehlot to Aurangzeb, and accused the Congress the "modern-day Muslim League" of committing atrocities on Hindus after being stopped near Mahua on the Jaipur-Agra highway.

Gehlot said no untoward incident happened in Rajasthan on Ram Navami.

"There were riots in many other states and now bulldozers are being run. Where did this disease of running bulldozers come from? If the rulers run bulldozers, where will Ambedkar's rule be, where will his Constitution be."

Without naming any incident, Gehlot said, "Who raised the slogans and who instigated the riots is not known. The police made a list and went with bulldozers and started demolishing the houses. The poor people were crying when their houses were demolished."

"What kind of rule is this? The BJP is talking about arrest of innocent people in Karauli. In the eyes of the police they are accused. So, should our government go and run bulldozers as well."

Over 30 people were injured in the violence on April 2 after a bike rally being carried out to mark Hindu new year was pelted with stones in Karauli.

Gehlot said, "The chief minister of Madhya Pradesh is getting very happy. These people have become arrogant after they won the election in Uttar Pradesh in the name of bulldozer."

Later Gehlot told reporters, "After the Karauli incident, we held a meeting with police officers. We told the officers that there should not be any another such incident. Not a single untoward incident took place in Rajasthan on Ram Navami, whereas in many states, "riots broke out and now their houses are being demolished".