Rajasthan Congress leaders mounted an overnight sit-in at the Jaipur Police Commissionerate on Monday, 20 October, pressing for the registration of an FIR in connection with the alleged assault on NSUI activist Ritu Barala during a protest against alleged 'vote theft' in Delhi. The demonstration, led by Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, drew party legislators, former ministers, and workers who remained at the premises through the night — both inside and outside the building.

What Triggered the Protest

Barala, an activist of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), was allegedly assaulted during a demonstration in Delhi. Accompanied by Congress leaders and a legal team, she filed a written complaint at the Moti Dungri police station in Jaipur, seeking an FIR. However, no separate case was registered, prompting the party to escalate the matter to the city's top police authority.

Around 6:15 pm on Monday, Congress leaders arrived at the Commissionerate. Police Commissioner Sachin Mittal was not present at the time; Dotasra subsequently spoke to him by phone and demanded the registration of a Zero FIR against the accused, declaring that the protesters would not leave until their demand was met.

Senior Leadership Steps In

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot travelled from Jodhpur to join the protest late Monday night, though he departed shortly afterwards. Leader of the Opposition Tikaram Jully directly questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government, asking who had 'tied the hands of the police administration' and blocked the FIR. 'What is the BJP government's problem with delivering justice to a daughter of this state?' Jully said, warning that Congress would 'neither retreat nor bow down' until the case was registered.

Dotasra also disclosed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had called him personally and directed him to ensure an FIR was registered in Jaipur in connection with the incident — a detail that signals the party's national leadership is closely monitoring the case.

Police Commissioner's Response

Mittal clarified that the alleged assault had taken place in Delhi and that a complaint had already been lodged with the Delhi Police. He noted that police in other states had already registered Zero FIRs and forwarded them to Delhi for investigation. 'Multiple FIRs cannot be registered for the same incident,' Mittal stated, adding that the complainants had been informed their complaint was on record and that information would be sought from the Delhi Police and the state police that registered the Zero FIR.

Those Present and What Comes Next

Among the leaders who participated in the overnight sit-in were MLAs Rafiq Khan and Amin Kagzi, former Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar, State Women's Congress President Sarika Singh, War Room Chairman Jaswant Gurjar, Rajendra Yadav, Media Chairperson Swarnim Chaturvedi, and Jaipur City Congress President Sunil Sharma.

Dotasra announced that Congress would gherao the Police Commissionerate on Tuesday and called upon party workers from across Rajasthan to converge on Jaipur. The Congress remained firm that it would not withdraw the agitation until an FIR is formally registered in the Ritu Barala case — setting the stage for a sharper confrontation with the Jaipur police administration in the coming hours.