JAIPUR: BJP state president Satish Poonia has called off the protest led by Rajya Sabha MP Kirori Lal Meena with the body of a priest on the fourth day in Jaipur following the state government agreeing to most of the demands on Sunday.
The priest Shambhu Sharma who died on March 2 has become a source of protest for the BJP taking him as an example of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Meena released the body for cremation after the government agreed to seize the shops allegedly built on the temple land. Also, the government has ordered a high-level inquiry to be completed on or before April 30. Poonia, who joined the protest earlier in the day and held a protest march, has called it a victory of the BJP.
The high-level meeting was attended by the chief secretary Niranjan Arya, home secretary Abhay Kumar, DGP M L Lathar, IG Jaipur Hawa Singh Ghumaria and Jaipur police commissioner Anand Srivastava, Jaipur MP Ramcharan Bohra, RS MP Meena, former state president Arun Chaturvedi, Sanganer MLA Ashok Lahoty and BJP leader Laxmikant Bhardwaj.
Parallel to the meeting, Poonia held a protest march from Civil Lines Phatak to BJP headquarters against the alleged injustice against the priest. Poonia said it is unfortunate that the government always run away from taking responsibility for anything. “The law and order situation has deteriorated in the state and the way Shambhu Sharma’s case has been treated, shows the intent and grip of the government on the state affairs,” Poonia said.
“Over 18,000 bighas of temple land has been encroached by land sharks. The government not taking these issues seriously shows they are not concerned about law and order. Soon after the agreement with the government, Bhardwaj took the body to Teekhri Jafran and cremated it in the presence of villagers.