Congress leaders in Jaipur on Tuesday, 20 October pressed ahead with their sit-in at the Jaipur Police Commissionerate for a second consecutive day, demanding the registration of a Zero FIR in connection with the alleged assault and mistreatment of NSUI National Secretary Ritu Barala in Delhi. The protest, which began on Monday evening, crossed its 24th hour amid escalating tensions between Congress workers and police personnel.

Key Developments at the Protest Site

Congress workers raised slogans outside the Commissionerate on Tuesday, which led to a scuffle with police personnel. According to reports, police used mild force to disperse the protesters. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Chief Govind Singh Dotasra and other Congress leaders spent Monday night sleeping on the floor at the protest site and were seen having tea and breakfast there on Tuesday morning.

An agitated Dotasra publicly asked a fellow Congress leader where the Jaipur Police Commissioner could be found. The reply, reportedly, was: 'In the BJP camp.' The exchange signalled the depth of frustration among protesters as the standoff stretched into its second day.

What the Congress Is Demanding

Dotasra challenged the police to produce a copy of any FIR already registered in Delhi, stating that Congress workers would immediately end their protest if the document were produced. 'Let the police show us which FIR has been registered in Delhi. If they can produce it, we will leave immediately,' he said. He further asserted that registering a Zero FIR is a legal right and cited the precedent of one being registered in Kerala in a similar matter.

Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully alleged that Barala's complaint in Delhi had not been formally registered, and that her subsequent complaint in Jaipur had also gone unregistered. 'Do these BJP members consider themselves above the law?' he asked. Jully also accused the authorities of contradicting stated commitments to women's safety, invoking the government's own 'Beti Bachao' campaign.

What Jaipur Police Said

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Ajay Singh stated that Barala had submitted a complaint at Connaught Place Police Station in Delhi on 13 October — the day of the incident — and that Delhi Police were already investigating the matter. Jaipur Police considered it legally inappropriate to register a separate FIR in Jaipur based on the same set of facts, and said Barala's complaint had been attached to the ongoing investigation. Police also disputed Barala's claim that she had been unable to file a report in Delhi because she was occupied with medical treatment.

Rahul Gandhi's Reported Role

The protest follows a reported phone call from Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who allegedly instructed Dotasra to ensure that an FIR was registered in Jaipur in connection with the matter. Dotasra arrived at the Commissionerate at around 6:15 pm on Monday, shortly after the call was reportedly made.

Background and What's Next

The 13 October incident involving Ritu Barala has become a flashpoint between the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajasthan, with opposition leaders framing it as an attack on a woman political worker and a test of the state's law-and-order machinery. This comes amid a broader pattern of Congress deploying street protests in Rajasthan to pressure the BJP-led state government. With both sides hardening their positions, the standoff is expected to continue unless Jaipur Police agrees to register a Zero FIR or provides documentation of the Delhi case to Congress leaders' satisfaction.