Rajasthan Congress chief whip likens UP CM Yogi to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over Hathras incident

State Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi made the comparison after he party staged a two-hour-long silent demonstration in protest against the Hathras incident even as the opposition BJP staged a 'halla bol' (raising cries) protest highlighting the "worsening" law and order in Rajasthan.

After observing the silent protest at Shahid Smarkar here, Joshi made the comparison, saying "UP CM Yogi Adityanath is acting like North Korea's dictator Kim Jong. The victim's family is being suppressed and such things have never happened in the country's history." "We have no hopes from the UP police. The way they are working cannot be trusted," Joshi told reporters after the protest. The BJP has no moral right to raise questions, he added. "They should demonstrate to get justice for the Hathras victim and against the Yogi Government instead. I pray to God to create circumstances for the accused in the Hathras case to get the harshest possible punishment," he said.

On being pointed out the apparent violations of section 144 of the CrPC and the anti-COVID social distancing norms during the protest, Joshi asserted that all efforts have been made to maintain social distancing. Industry Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said probably no government in the history committed such a crime. "The body was not given to the family. Which Indian culture is this where the body is cremated late at night? What compulsion the government had to do such a thing? The way UP police misbehaved with the media persons and the Congress leaders and their acts are condemnable," Meena said.

Opposition BJP, on the other hand, took out a protest march and held a demonstration near Civil Lines railway crossing. "The state government has been sleeping for 20 months and we had to undertake this 'Halla Bol' protest to wake up the government. The crime rate is increasing in the state and the law and order situation has deteriorated," Poonia said. He said Rajasthan has become the Crime capital of the country.

BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf said Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who holds the Home Ministry's portfolio, has failed to keep crime under control. The BJP workers confronted with police during the protest in Jaipur. BJP MLA and spokesperson Ramlal Sharma said similar protests were held at all district headquarters and resolutions were handed over to district collectors. He said nearly 15,000 party workers took part in the protests all over the state for raising the issue of deteriorating law and order in the state. Sharma said Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Deputy Leader of opposition Rajendra Rathore, national secretary Alka Gurjar, former state president Arun Chaturvedi, MP Diya Kumari, state vice president CP Joshi, former union minister PP Chaudhary and other leaders led the dharna in various districts of the state.