Rajasthan Police announce rewards on 4 in black flag protest against BJP chief Rathore
Synopsis
A black flag protest in Kuchaman City has snowballed into a constitutional question: when do police rewards on protesters become an answer to dissent? With ₹5,000 and ₹2,100 bounties out on four RLP workers, Hanuman Beniwal is reframing the case as a test of the Rajasthan government's democratic tolerance.
Key Takeaways
Rajasthan Police announced cash rewards on four men over the 30 May black flag protest against BJP chief Madan Rathore in Kuchaman City .
A reward of ₹5,000 has been declared on Bhuraram Sheshma , and ₹2,100 each on Ramniwas Kantia , Mukesh Saran alias Modi, and Dinesh Kukna .
Pyarelal Shivran confirmed the four have been absconding since the FIR was registered at Kuchaman City Police Station.
RLP chief Hanuman Beniwal said ‘expressing disagreement in a democracy is not a crime' and questioned the state government's ‘tolerance and morality'.
Protesters faced a police lathi-charge near Jawahar School on the day of Rathore's visit.
Rajasthan Police have announced cash rewards for the arrest of four men accused of staging a black flag protest against Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore during his visit to Kuchaman City on 30 May, even as Nagaur MP and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief Hanuman Beniwal defended the demonstration as legitimate dissent. The accused have reportedly been absconding since a case was registered at Kuchaman City Police Station.
Key developments in the case
According to Nagaur Superintendent of Police Dr. Pyarelal Shivran, a reward of ₹5,000 has been announced on Bhuraram Sheshma, son of Pusaram Jat, a resident of Surendranagar. Rewards of ₹2,100 each have been declared on Ramniwas Kantia of Hirani, Mukesh Saran alias Modi of Rasal, and Dinesh Kukna of Ranasar.
Police have urged the public to share any information on the whereabouts of the four, assuring that the identity of informants will remain confidential. The case was registered on 30 May based on complaints filed by Vijay Singh Palada and CI Satpal Singh.
What the police said
Confirming the action, Kuchaman City SHO Mahavir Prasad said the rewards were declared following directions from the Superintendent of Police. Officials added that the announcement was part of broader efforts to apprehend the accused and move the investigation forward.
Beniwal's pushback
Reacting sharply, RLP chief Beniwal said his party workers had staged a democratic protest against the BJP state chief, but were first detained for allegedly disturbing peace and later booked for obstructing government work. ‘Expressing disagreement in a democracy is not a crime,' he said.
‘Now rewards have been announced for their arrest as if they were criminals. This raises serious questions about the tolerance and morality of the state government,' Beniwal added.
How the row began
The controversy erupted during Rathore's visit to Kuchaman City on 30 May, when RLP workers waved black flags and raised slogans against the state government. A confrontation reportedly broke out between protesters and police personnel near Jawahar School, after which police resorted to a lathi-charge and detained several activists.
Political fallout
The incident has since snowballed into a political row, with the BJP and the RLP trading allegations almost daily. With the investigation ongoing, the case is shaping up as an early flashpoint between the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government and the RLP, which has positioned itself as a key opposition voice in the state's Shekhawati-Nagaur belt.
Point of View
And it hands Beniwal a ready-made civil liberties narrative. The RLP, weakened after 2024, badly needs a cause that travels beyond Nagaur — and the Rajasthan government has effectively supplied one. Whether this pressure tactic produces arrests or simply martyrs the four accused will shape how Shekhawati reads the Bhajan Lal Sharma administration's threshold for dissent. The deeper question — why obstruction-of-work cases are escalating into bounty notices — deserves more scrutiny than it has so far received.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why have Rajasthan Police announced rewards on four people?
The rewards have been announced to facilitate the arrest of four RLP workers accused in connection with a black flag protest against Rajasthan BJP President Madan Rathore in Kuchaman City on 30 May. Police say the four have been absconding since the FIR was registered.
What is the reward amount declared by the police?
A reward of ₹5,000 has been announced on Bhuraram Sheshma, while rewards of ₹2,100 each have been declared on Ramniwas Kantia, Mukesh Saran alias Modi, and Dinesh Kukna. Nagaur SP Dr. Pyarelal Shivran confirmed the announcement.
What has Hanuman Beniwal said about the case?
RLP chief Hanuman Beniwal has defended the protest as a democratic right, saying ‘expressing disagreement in a democracy is not a crime'. He has questioned why protesters are being treated like criminals through bounty notices.
What happened during Madan Rathore's Kuchaman City visit?
During Rathore's visit on 30 May, RLP workers waved black flags and raised slogans against the state government. A confrontation reportedly broke out near Jawahar School, after which police resorted to a lathi-charge and detained several activists.
Who filed the original complaint in the case?
The FIR was registered at Kuchaman City Police Station on 30 May based on complaints filed by Vijay Singh Palada and CI Satpal Singh. The case includes charges of obstructing government work.
