Is a Judicial Inquiry Needed for the Harda Incident?

Harda, July 14 (NationPress) - Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh, has called for a judicial investigation into the recent incident in Harda, where police allegedly employed "mild force" against the Karni Sena during a demonstration.

Singh visited Harda on Monday and convened a meeting with representatives from the Karni Sena and the Rajput community, asserting that the police response was "barbaric." He claimed that individuals who were not involved in the protest were forcibly removed from their homes and assaulted by the police.

“The Karni Sena, along with other groups representing the Kshatriya community, is demanding a judicial inquiry. A memorandum will be submitted to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav upon his return from abroad. Our community has been unjustly targeted, and we will not stand for it,” Singh stated while addressing reporters in Harda.

He further insisted that the district collector, the SP, SDOP, and all senior officials involved in the incident should be reassigned.

“A fair and transparent judicial inquiry is only feasible if all senior police officials, including the Harda SP and Additional SP, along with the district collector and SDM, are transferred,” Singh emphasized.

While speaking to the media, the Congress leader also alleged that attendees of a condolence gathering at a Rajput hostel faced brutal treatment at the hands of the police.

“I recognize that police may need to use force to manage situations. However, what justification is there for beating those attending a condolence meeting? Were they engaged in any unlawful behavior? Therefore, a judicial inquiry is essential,” he added.

Digvijaya also mentioned that what began as a dispute between two individuals was mishandled by the police, leading to the swift granting of bail to the accused.

“About a dozen members of the Karni Sena present in court demanded that the accused be handed over to them, which is impossible, and I accept that. But why was there a lack of diligence from the police in building a strong case against the accused, allowing for such easy bail?” Singh questioned.

The protest occurred on Saturday, aimed at securing the release of their district president who had been detained in connection with a local issue.

To manage the gathering, police reportedly deployed tear gas, water cannons, and conducted a lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

Over 60 individuals, including Jeevan Singh Sherpur, the national president of Karni Sena, were taken into custody.

In response, the district administration imposed prohibitory measures under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Sunday.