Pokharan tense over remark on MLA’s Yoga Day post; mob attacks police station, 13 held

MLA Mahant Pratap Puri

Thirteen people were arrested in Rajasthan’s Pokharan town, Jaisalmer, after tensions erupted in the region over objectionable remarks on the photos of local MLA Mahant Pratap Puri during an International Yoga Day event, The Indian Express reported.

The main accused, identified as Rafiq Khan, was held from Gomat village in Jaisalmer on Sunday for allegedly posting objectionable comments on Facebook targeting the Pokharan MLA.

As per the report, one Fateh Singh Chowk from the MLA’s office lodged a complaint with the Pokharan police station on June 22, alleging that derogatory remarks were posted on Facebook and made in WhatsApp groups regarding the MLA’s pictures, which have “deeply hurt the religious sentiments of followers”.

Following Rafiq’s arrest, tensions escalated in the area late at night when advocate Firoz Khan, who is the husband of Gomat village sarpanch, reportedly arrived outside the police station, shared images on a WhatsApp group, and allegedly called on people to surround the police station, the report added.

Pokharan police said around 50 to 60 people responded and gathered at the police station’s main gate, demanding Rafiq’s bail.

“Firoz Khan misled people and incited them to gather at the police station,” Jaisalmer Superintendent of Police Sudhir Chaudhary was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

The police said the situation took a violent turn when they began pelting stones, prompting police to resort to a lathi-charge. The SP later arrived at the scene to assess the situation and directed that appropriate legal measures be taken.

“Firoz Khan has been arrested along with five of his associates for obstructing government work and creating unrest,” SP Chaudhary added.

The arrested are Firoz Khan, Umardin, Salim Khan, Mohammad Khan, Qayamdin and Ilyas Khan, he said. Seven other persons have also been arrested for breach of peace, taking the total number of arrests to 13, he added. “The situation is now completely under control,” the SP was quoted by The Indian Express.

As per the report, the other suspects have been identified and teams are conducting searches to arrest them.