JAIPUR: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena continued to stage sit-in with the body of a priest at the Civil Lines on the second day on Friday. Earlier, from April 3 till April 7, Meena had been protesting with the body in Dausa.
The city BJP unit has extended its support to Meena and the party’s leaders have started calling it a ‘BJP protest’ against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
A battery of leaders including the former BJP state president Arun Chaturvedi, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra, Sanganer MLA Ashok Lahoty, Jaipur Greater mayor Somya Gujjar and state BJP vice-president Mukesh Dhadich joined the protest indicating it to be making a big show in the coming days.
The priest, Shambhu Sharma, died of heart attack late in the night on April 2, following encroachment of his temple land by the land mafia in Mahua near Dausa. Meena is demanding that the land should be made encroachment free and those involved in the grabbing should be booked for the death of the priest.
Meena was protesting with the body since April 3 in Dausa but reached Jaipur, while dodging the police, on Thursday following directions from BJP state president Satish Poonia.
“The government has again proved that they are insensitive towards the common man. They are yet to blink their eye on the issue, which shows that they are least concerned for law and order,” said Chaturvedi, who threatened that if the issue is not resolved, the entire BJP will join the protest and take the fight to district and block level.
Meena reiterated the demand that until the houses on the temple land at Teekri Jafra village are demolished, talks with the government cannot take place.
The Vipr Foundation and Vishwa Hindu Parishad members have also joined the dharna. They called the government ‘anti-Hindu’ for several incidents in the state against temple priests. Considering the building momentum around the protest, police beefed up security in the area to avoid any untoward incident and keeping a sharp vigil on the protesters.
The local administration held one round of talks with Meena, but he refused to call off the protest until his demands are met. Meena, in his usual style of resting on a charpai in the middle of the road, can be seen having food with his supporters.
He is giving full attention to those coming to see him or expressing solidarity with him. Dausa SP Anil Beniwal suspended SHO Mahua Naresh Sharma for his failure to anticipate the movement of Meena with the body from Dausa to Jaipur.