Rajasthan: Ex-BJP MLA’s death, alleged police assault on RSS worker trigger tensions

• Former BJP MLA Atar Singh Bhadana dies after violent clash with villagers over a stone-crushing plant in Bharatpur.

• RSS pracharak Krishna Avtar allegedly assaulted twice inside Naraina police station; six policemen suspended.

• Congress leaders attack Bhajan Lal Sharma government over law and order, citing both incidents.

The killing of a former BJP MLA and the alleged brutal assault on a senior RSS functionary on Sunday, 11 October have sent shockwaves through the BJP and the wider public, putting the Bhajan Lal Sharma government in Rajasthan under renewed scrutiny over law and order.

Former BJP MLA Atar Singh Bhadana was allegedly attacked by villagers during a violent clash in Bhonda village in Bharatpur district, the home district of Sharma. He was rushed to Jaipur in a critical condition on Sunday night but succumbed to his injuries around midnight. His security guard Gagan Sharma, who was also seriously injured in the clash, was admitted to a hospital in Bharatpur.

In a separate incident, senior RSS pracharak Krishna Avtar was allegedly beaten by police personnel at Naraina police station, where he had been summoned for questioning. Following protests by BJP and RSS workers inside the police station, Jaipur Rural superintendent of police Hanuman Singh rushed to the spot and ordered the suspension of six police personnel. Markets in Naraina remained closed in protest against the alleged assault. Avtar was admitted to a hospital in Jaipur.

Bhadana was involved in the mining business and operated a stone-crushing plant in Bhonda, under the Weir subdivision of Bharatpur district. The plant had been closed for more than a year, and he had gone to the village on Sunday to restart operations when the dispute with local residents escalated into violence.

Villagers had been protesting what they alleged was illegal mining by Bhadana and objected particularly to the operation of the crusher plant on pasture land. They claimed that the land had been encroached upon, preventing their cattle from grazing. They were also unhappy with what they described as the denial of employment to local residents at the plant and the alleged illegal extraction of stone.

On Sunday evening, as Bhadana arrived at the site with his supporters and attempted to restart operations, a heated argument escalated into a clash between villagers, reportedly numbering 70-80, and Bhadana's supporters. Several rounds were allegedly fired from a rifle during the confrontation. Bhadana and his security guard were beaten with sticks and rods, suffering serious injuries.

According to police circle inspector Dhirendra Singh, the dispute between the Bhadana family and the villagers had been going on for around two years.

Villagers alleged that Bhadana's wife Kamlesh Singh, in whose name the mining lease had been issued, was also involved in illegal mining and the crusher plant was located on pasture land. They claimed the family operated the plant day and night, disturbing peace in the area, and carried out blasting at the mines late at night.

The villagers had allegedly disconnected the plant's electricity supply and taken away its water pump. The Bhadana family informed the police, but alleged that no action was taken against the villagers.

Resentment had also grown over the distribution of jobs at the crusher plant. Villagers alleged that employment was given only to a favoured few, while illegal mining continued with selected miners being given work.

For the seven days preceding Sunday's violence, villagers had been staging sit-in protests after learning that Bhadana intended to reopen the plant. The police had reportedly been informed about the demonstrations but took no action until the clash broke out on Sunday evening.

Bhadana's wife and son Arjun Singh Bhadana, a lawyer who practises in the Supreme Court, had also reportedly informed the police about the situation. However, no effective intervention followed before the confrontation in which the former MLA was critically injured.

One of Bhadana's daughters, an IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, and another daughter, who is a doctor, rushed to Bayana for their father's funeral.

Bhadana represented the Bayana Assembly constituency as MLA from 2003-08 and also served as chief of the BJP Kisan Morcha. His death was condemned by former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasara and leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully.

The Congress leaders said the law and order situation in Rajasthan had deteriorated and that people were feeling increasingly insecure under the BJP government. They argued that the administration had failed even to protect the life of a former BJP legislator, underscoring the gravity of the situation.

RSS functionary allegedly assaulted inside police station

In the second incident, RSS pracharak Krishna Avtar in charge of the Sangh's activities in Sambhar district, was travelling to Phulera when a policeman allegedly detained him and took him to Naraina police station, where several policemen assaulted him.

According to the police's account, Avtar was behaving like an "extra-constitutional authority" and issuing instructions to officers. The policemen allegedly detained him to teach him a lesson. They also reportedly made derogatory remarks about the BJP and the RSS.

Police personnel identified as Onkar Singh, Mahipal and Vinod allegedly stripped Avtar and beat him severely, leaving him unconscious. The police then took him to a health centre. After he regained consciousness, he was brought back to the police station, where he was allegedly assaulted again.

The incident triggered protests by BJP workers, who staged a sit-in outside the police station.