Clashes erupted between two communities in Rajasthan allegedly following lack of action on a class 8 student's complaint that her water bottle was filled with urine. The State BJP accused Congress of appeasement politics following the incident.
According to reports, a 13-year-old girl studying in a government school in Bhilwara district had complained to school authorities on Friday that "urine-like odour" was coming from her water bottle and that she found a note with "I love you" written on it. NDTV reported that the incident happened when the girl went home for lunch, leaving her bag and water bottle in class.
NDTV quoted Additional Superintendent of Police Ghanshyam Sharma as saying, “The girl, a student of a government senior higher secondary school, had gone to her home for lunch, leaving her bag and bottle behind in her class on Friday. When she got back and drank from the bottle, she detected a foul smell and found out that some boys had mixed urine with water."
According to reports, clashes erupted when members of the girl's community attempted to enter into the house of the boy while police came there for investigation; angered that no action was taken against the accused till then.
The publication reported that the villagers were agitated as no action was taken by the school principal despite the girl's complaint. “When the school opened today, they raised the issue with tehsildar, the in-charge of the Luhariya Police Station, and the school principal. However, when no effective action was taken, the villagers entered the locality of the boys and started throwing stones,” NDTV reported.
Police said during their visit to the school over the case, some villagers created a ruckus there. “The villagers also entered the locality, where a majority of people belong to the community of the accused boys, and pelted stones,” a senior police officer said. “There was stone-pelting from the other side also,” he said.
Sharma said the police visited the school to speak to the principal about the case on Monday. "During this, the villagers created a ruckus. They locked the school door."
"The villagers also started raising slogans and barged into the locality of the particular community and pelted stones. Some stones were also thrown from the other side," the officer said. He said the police used 'mild force' to maintain law and order. "Nine people have been detained in this regard. At present, there is peace in the area," he said.
Mandal SHO Mukesh Verma said that a case has been registered against the accused boys. “Stone pelting had occurred in the village but the situation is under control now,” he added.
Police have registered a case under IPC sections 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and has started the investigation.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Rajendra Rathore condemned the incident by calling it a shameful incident. "There is no place for such an act in a civilised society. I strongly condemn this incident," Rathore tweeted. Rathore said it revealed the appeasement politics of the Congress government.
He said that angry people clashed with each other as police did not take timely and proper action in the matter. He also said police targeted "selected people" during the lathi charge to contain the stone pelting. "This incident reflects the appeasement politics of the Congress government," he added.
(With PTI inputs.)
