Jaipur, June 4: Rajasthan’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, Madan Rathore, is at the center of controversy as police have announced rewards for four individuals involved in protests against him. The demonstrators have been on the run since a case was registered at the Kuchaman police station. However, Hanuman Beniwal, leader of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP), has raised questions regarding the police’s actions, stating that expressing dissent is not a crime in a democracy.
The protests occurred on May 30 during Rathore’s visit to Kuchaman, where RLP workers displayed black flags in opposition. According to police officials, the case was filed based on complaints lodged by Vijay Singh Palada and CI Satpal Singh on the same day. The announcement of rewards is part of efforts to apprehend the accused and further the investigation.
The police have placed a reward of ₹5,000 for Bhuraram, a resident of Surendranagar. Additionally, rewards of ₹2,100 each have been announced for Ramniwas Kantia from Hirani, Mukesh Saran from Rasal, and Dinesh Kukna from Ranasar.
Authorities are appealing to the public for information regarding the whereabouts of these individuals, assuring that the identities of informants will be kept confidential. Confirming the developments, Kuchaman’s SHO Mahaveer Prasad stated that these actions were taken following directives from the Superintendent of Police.
Meanwhile, RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal criticized the Rajasthan government’s response to the protests, reiterating that dissent is not a crime. He pointed out that RLP workers had protested democratically against Rathore but were allegedly detained for disturbing the peace and later faced charges for obstructing government work.
Beniwal remarked, “Now, a reward has been announced for their arrest, as if they are criminals. This raises serious questions about the state government’s tolerance and ethics.”