Sachin Pilot supporters burn tyres, block roads in Rajasthan
Race for Chief Minister
Jaipur, Dec 13: Sachin Pilot supporters burnt tyres and blocked roads in Rajasthan on Thursday, demanding his appointment as the next chief minister.
As the Congress leadership in Delhi deliberated over the chief minister's post, groups of people tried to stop traffic at places in Dausa, Ajmer and Karauli districts, police said.
Protesters blocked the Jaipur-Agra highway at Dausa for some time, burning old tyres. There was a similar disruption on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, and attempts to block traffic on other roads.
In most cases, the protesters were from Pilot's Gujjar community, police said.
The protests prompted Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot to issue an appeal on Twitter, asking people to remain calm.
Pilot and two-time chief minister Ashok Gehlot are vying for the top post in Rajasthan, following the party's victory in the December 7 assembly polls.
In Karauli, about 25 youths burnt tyres on the road, police said.
In Dausa, some people gathered at the Jaipur-Agra highway near Patoli for about 30 minutes before being dispersed, police said.
Some people also gathered at the Jaipur-Ajmer highway near Ghooghra in Ajmer and burnt tyres," Special DG (Law and Order) N R K Reddy told PTI.
The blockage was cleared by the police, he said.
Similar demonstrations were held in Karauli's Hindaun in the evening but the police controlled the situation quickly, he said.
Six people climbed atop an overhead water tank in Bandikui in Dausa but were later persuaded to come down, he added.
Bharatpur Inspector General of Police Malini Agrawal said people gathered at Hindaun and nearby areas and were later dispersed.
She said there was no violence and the situation there was back to normal.
We want Sachin Pilot as the next chief minister of Rajasthan. The party high command should declare his name as soon as possible, Sugar Singh, state secretary of Akhil Bhartiya Yuva Gurjar Mahasabha, said.
Our members were peaceful at the demonstrations, which were held in Gurjar-dominated areas in eastern Rajasthan, he said.
Pilot issued an appeal on Twitter for calm.
I request all workers to maintain peace and discipline, he wrote in Hindi.
I completely trust the party's high command, he said, adding that he will welcome any decision taken by leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
It is the responsibility of committed workers to maintain the party's dignity, he tweeted.
In Jaipur, supporters of both Pilot and Gehlot had gathered outside their homes.
Looking at the number of supporters, additional policemen have been deployed, Additional Police Commissioner Nitin Deep Blaggan said.
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Bengaluru: Scrap worker held for UPS battery thefts; 51 batteries recovered
Bengaluru: A 38-year-old scrap worker accused of stealing UPS batteries has been arrested by the Parappana Agrahara police for targeting roadside power backup units in Electronic City.
According to The Indian Express, the accused has been identified as Chinnadurai (38), a native of Tamil Nadu. He was apprehended on March 9 from a scrap shop in Vaddarapalya on Koppa Begur Main Road following a tip-off.
Police said the accused targeted roadside power backup units installed for CCTV cameras, streetlights, and traffic signals, disrupting public infrastructure, particularly in Electronic City Phase-2 and Shanthipura Main Road.
The case was originally registered on February 5 after a private company reported the theft of 10 UPS batteries from roadside locations.
During interrogation, Chinnadurai reportedly confessed to carrying out the thefts as a source of livelihood and admitted to similar offences across the city.
The police recovered 51 UPS batteries of various companies and seized an autorickshaw used in the crimes. The total value of the recovered property is estimated at Rs 4 lakh.
“With his arrest, we have detected this case and also solved two other theft cases registered against him in different police stations across the city,” a police officer said.
As per the report, the accused was produced before a court on March 10 and remanded to judicial custody.
The thefts had earlier led to traffic signals going non-functional in Electronic City, raising safety concerns among commuters.
