Will not tolerate those who harass women: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said people with a criminal mindset misbehaving with women will not be tolerated in the state and that he has directed police to deal with them strictly.

The CM's remarks came in the wake of the murder of a minor girl who was later burned in a coal furnace in Bhilwara. He said the government is taking incidents like Bhilwara and Jodhpur rape very seriously and efforts are being made to punish the culprits at the earliest. The CM had on Friday night discussed various issues related to law and order in a high-level meeting. "Some mischievous boys spoil the whole atmosphere. Yesterday, we told the Director General of Police, Chief Secretary and other officers to bring these mischievous boys to justice," Gehlot told reporters.

Asked about opposition BJP's constant attack against his government on the law and order issue, Gehlot said the party was deliberately creating a certain type of atmosphere, which is far from reality. "Rajasthan is a very peace-loving state. An attempt is being made to defame it by comparing it with Manipur. Some incidents have happened. Such incidents happen in every state, for example, Madhya Pradesh. But they turn a blind eye when it comes to these states," he said. A 14-year-old girl was allegedly killed and later burned in a coal furnace in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district on Wednesday.

Locals claimed she was gang raped too. Police have arrested four people, including the main accused, and detained a minor in connection with the case. Gehlot in his interaction with media attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the Manipur issue, saying the two made a "huge blunder" there. "Manipur is burning... And you Compare Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh with that state. This is pure politics. We reject it whether the Prime Minister speaks or anyone else," he said. On the Supreme Court's stay on the conviction of Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case, Gehlot said the court's remarks are enough to send a message to the people of the country as he termed the case a conspiracy to remove Rahul Gandhi from the Parliament.