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BJP team hurt in attack

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR SEPT 18. The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria, and the deputy leader, Ram Pratap, sustained minor injuries when a group of people, suspected to be supporters of the newly-formed Social Justice Front, attacked them in Kolayat town of Bikaner today.

The BJP leaders were in the district in connection with the party's spot study programme on the malaria situation.

Reports reaching here said that when the BJP team was at the Kolayat hospital to check on malaria cases, a mob of 100 to 150 people attacked their vehicles. There were scuffles and stone-throwing incidents involving the BJP workers and the supporters of the SJF. Many vehicles were also damaged in the violence.

Kolayat is the Assembly constituency of Devi Singh Bhati, the president of the new party which only a fortnight ago had turned political after leading a four-year-long agitation for reservation to the poor among the upper castes. However, speaking from Jaisalmer, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, the convener of SJF, denied any role of his partymen in the incident. He termed it as an internal affair of the BJP.

The injured have been admitted to PBM Hospital in Bikaner. The police have registered cases against 10 persons.

The Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, while addressing the meeting of district superintendents of police this evening, made a deliberate reference to the incident and said the Government would not tolerate such acts of violence. "I condemn the attack. Whoever is the leader or the political party, no one should disturb public meetings. We cannot tolerate such acts," he said.

However, the BJP leadership was quick to point an accusing finger at Mr.Gehlot himself. The party president, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, in a statement here alleged that the attack was instigated by the Chief Minister. The police stood there as mute witnesses when Mr.Kataria, Dr.Pratap and Gopal Gehlot were attacked by the "anti-socials of the Social Justice Front", she charged.

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