A protest led by Cong. MLA Suresh Modi (centre) at Neem Ka Thana on Monday against dissolution of nine districts.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Protests have erupted at several places in Rajasthan over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s decision to dissolve nine of the 17 districts created during the previous Congress regime. Markets remained closed and demonstrations were organised in most of the districts abolished on December 28, with warnings of prolonged agitations.
The nine districts dissolved by a decision taken at the State Cabinet meeting here are Anupgarh, Dudu, Gangapur City, Jaipur Rural, Jodhpur Rural, Kekri, Neem Ka Thana, Sanchore, and Shahpura. The State will now have 41 districts. The BJP government has also annulled three new divisions that were carved out in 2023, reducing their number to seven.
A ‘mahapadav (sit-in)’ was held outside the Collectorate building in Sanchore on Monday under the leadership of former Minister and Congress leader Sukhram Bishnoi, who said there was strong resentment among the people. The markets in the town were closed on the call of the Vyapar Mandal.
Several organisations staged protests against the State government’s decision in Shahpura and submitted a memorandum to the Sub-Divisional Officer with the demand for the district’s restoration.
Representatives of local citizens’ groups organised a similar protest meeting outside the Collectorate in Anupgarh.
In Neem Ka Thana, a group led by Congress MLA Suresh Modi submitted a memorandum to the Collector demanding the district’s immediate restoration. Mr. Modi said the BJP government had abolished the district “out of revenge” because the voters in Sikar and Neem Ka Thana had defeated the ruling party in the 2023 Assembly election.
A “head shaving protest” planned by the Zila Bachao Sangharsh Samiti in Kekri was postponed following police intervention. The group’s convener, Ramavtar Sikhwal, and Congress leader Raghu Sharma, who earlier represented Kekri in the Assembly, said the BJP had hurt the sentiments of people and pushed the region to backwardness by taking away Kekri’s district status.
Highway blocked
The Bikaner-Sriganganagar national highway was blocked for some time on Sunday in protest against the abolition of Anupgarh district. The Opposition Congress has strongly condemned the decision and announced that it will launch a massive agitation on the issue in the State from January 1.
Published – December 31, 2024 10:47 am IST
