The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya on Sunday claimed that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot’s iftar party included one of the accused in communal riots last year, when several homes and shops of Hindus were burnt down in Chabbra town in Rajasthan’s Baran district.
According to police, the riots erupted after two men from the Gujjar community were allegedly stabbed by members of the Muslim community following an argument late April 18, 2021, triggering tensions the next day.
Even as police used tear gas to disperse the mob, members of the two communities, armed with sticks, iron rods and weapons, continued the rampage till late in the evening, setting ablaze a fire tender and damaging public property, including police and government vehicles, officials said.
One of the main accused, BJP’s Malviya said in a tweet, Asif Ansari, took part in the “official” iftar party hosted by CM Gehlot. “The man who should have been in jail was enjoying CM’s hospitality! Sheltering rioters is secularism?”, Malviya said in a tweet, which had a pictures of the alleged accused Ansari.
Ashok Gehlot hosted an “official” Iftar party on 23Apr. In attendance was Asif Ansari, main accused of Chabbra riots, in which several homes and shops of Hindu’s were burnt down. The man who should have been in jail was enjoying CM’s hospitality!
Sheltering rioters is secularism? pic.twitter.com/9HyoGHbLSh— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 24, 2022
Meanwhile, CM Gehlot on Saturday allayed speculation around a possible change of guard in the state, saying people should not pay attention to rumours. Speculations around changes in the state government have been doing the rounds following a recent meeting between Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and senior party leader Sachin Pilot in New Delhi, a day after Gandhi held talks with Gehlot.
“Rumours keep running in the media and in newspapers. You don’t have to pay attention to them,” Gehlot said during a state-level event of the Rajasthan Revenue Service Council here. Such rumours mislead people and governance is also affected, he said.
With inputs from News18
NCP leader wants to recite Hanuman Chalisa at PM House 