Tonk: Independent candidate Naresh Meena being arrested after he had allegedly slapped Malpura SDM during Deoli-Uniara Assembly bypoll, leading to violence in the area on Wednesday, at Samravta village in Tonk district of Rajasthan on November 14, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

Rajasthan’s Tonk candidate Naresh Meena arrested day after he slapped SDM

Locals had boycotted polling over a demand to include Samravta village in Uniara sub-division instead of in Deoli. Mr. Meena was supporting the villagers

by · The Hindu

Independent MLA candidate from Rajasthan’s Tonk district Naresh Meena was arrested on Thursday (November 14, 2024), a day after he slapped a sub-divisional magistrate during polling in full view of camera crews.

Mr. Meena, a Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, caught SDM Malpura, Amit Chaudhary, by his collar and slapped him, an official said.

Tonk: Smoke billows out after a tyre was set ablaze during clashes that erupted following independent candidate Naresh Meena’s arrest on November 14, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

Mr. Chaudhary was trying to get more people to vote in the bypolls held on Wednesday. Locals had boycotted polling over a demand to include Samravta village in Uniara sub-division instead of in Deoli. Mr. Meena was supporting the villagers.

The incident led to tension in the area with vehicles being torched, police being pelted with stones and 60 people arrested.

About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers were torched in the violence that erupted outside the polling booth. Police personnel tried to remove Meena and his supporters who sat on a dharna in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency.

Tonk: Damaged vehicles after violence that erupted following pelting of stones at police by alleged supporters of independent candidate Naresh Meena on November 14, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) Association called for a pen-down strike and government work was affected for some time in the morning.

Four cases were registered against Mr. Meena, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property.

Published - November 14, 2024 02:07 pm IST