Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said lynching was not unique to her state and that she would have to be “rather much than god" to know about every incident happening in every remote corner of the state.
The comment comes in the wake of lynching of Rakbar Khan, a dairy farmer from Haryana's Mewat district, who was lynched by a group of seven persons in Alwar almost two weeks ago.
“It happens all over the world, that’s not something happening in Rajasthan alone and if somebody is trying to say that why wasn’t she listening and why wasn’t she doing anything… it is very difficult because if at 12’o clock in the night in some remote part of Rajasthan something like this happens, I would have to be rather much than god to know exactly what is really happening," Raje told this reporter.
The CM blamed the lynchings on lack of jobs and people’s anger growing out of that helplessness.
“This is the problem that stems out of population explosions. People wanting jobs, people are frustrated that they are not being able to get jobs. There is frustration which is spreading across communities and people… It’s not something that is coming out of the state. It’s coming out of the people’s angry reaction to their circumstances," said Raje.
But a Harish Meena, a BJP MP from Dausa, Rajasthan, contradicting her claims said that the state was slow to respond to such terrible incidents. On CNN-News18’s flagship show ‘Viewpoint’, Harish Meena, a former top cop from the state, went on record to say that the state had not acted with alertness to similar instances in the past. He said that was the main reason why lynching incidents were happening with impunity from across the country.
Digital Push
In a state which has hit headlines repeatedly in the recent times for lynching of Pehlu Khan or Rakbar Khan, there is a new template being created by the incumbent chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje. A template of a new “hub of innovation". If you would have visited Bikaner this weekend, you would have thought you are not in the state of royalty, but perhaps the more developed states like Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh which have already run away with the tag of cyber-hub. In a hall, which reminded me distinctly of the famous Gandhi pavilion of the famed vibrant Gujarat event which was kicked off with great fanfare by Narendra Modi, Vasundhara sat in great majesty. As one after the other promotional films were played on giant LED screens, with a drone camera hovering above for full impact, the Maharani stated emphatically, she was the number one IT chief minister of the country. In course of a free-wheeling conversation post the event, I asked her if such gigs were going to bring in votes for her as well.
She responded: “I am not sure about the electoral dividends, because it is not something that is immediate. It is something that is necessary, and everything should not. Sometimes we also have to think beyond the political. So, yes, may be it doesn’t give you political dividend right away but it will in time to come. It’s going to be something that’s going to make a lot of difference to the people of that area."
Vasundhara Raje clearly is fighting with her back to the wall. It's an open secret that BJP big bosses don’t really approve of her work style. The combined duo of Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot will only make it harder for her. When I asked her if she didn’t have full support of her party leaders, she said, “The media spends all its time trying to get under my skin and the reasons why I am clear about it is that I just do not allow this to happen. And if worse comes to worst, I will just switch off. I am not a great news person. I am very happy. I don’t have any problem with them. We have decided that we would work together in next election. For that we all have to work together and this the first thing we are looking for."
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