Resolve puja issue by January 5: Hindu Mahasabha to administration

KOTA: The situation remained tense in Churu on Wednesday following the arrest and lathicharge of Hindu Mahasabha activists over puja on Maandhata Balaji cenotaph on Tiger Hill. Despite district administration's appeal, shops in city and five other villages remain closed.
Local MLA Ashok Dogera faced ire and protest from businessmen and public on Kota Road when he reached there to convince them to open shops. Police had to restore to mild lathicharge to disperse agitators.

Some people have provoked the religious sentiments of the public but the situation on Wednesday has improved and is expected to be normal by Thursday morning, told local Dogera. He also refuted the allegation of failure to handle the situation by district administration and said all the necessary measures to ensure normalcy and peace in the city were taken in time.

Markets in Dei, Khatkad, Satur and Bundi Ka Gothra villages also remain closed.

District collector Shivangi Swarnkar also took rounds of the markets appealing the shopkeepers and traders to open up their establishments but her appeal turned futile.

Stray incidents of burning tyres by activists of Hindu outfits were reported.

Meanwhile, district officials and activists of Hindu Mahasabha held a meeting in Charbhuja Temple in Tilak Chowk. The meeting was presided over by Naga Sadhu Baba Ramlakhan Das and Shravan Das who were on Monday were beaten up and detained by the police.

Baba Ramlakhan Das and Sunil Hadouti of Hindu Mahasabha warned the district administration to resolve the Puja issue on Maandhata cenotaph by January 5 or face more protests not only in Bundi but across Rajasthan on January 6. Baba Ramlakhan Das and Sunil Hadouti in the meeting read out memorandum of their demands. They demanded to allow them to perform puja at Maandhata Balaji, to release the Hindu Mahasabha activists who were arrested on Monday.

Meanwhile, Bundi Abhibhashak Parishad led a protest march in Bundi court premises and submitted a memorandum to the district collector and SP with demands to take action against the police officer involved in beating up the advocate and to allow the puja on Maandhata cenotaph.

The internet services and social media engines remained suspended for the fourth day on Wednesday and prohibitory order under section 144 has been in place in the district since Friday night till next orders.