Jodhpur clash: Ashok Gehlot skips his birthday celebration, calls high-level meet

New Delhi: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who turned 71 on Tuesday (May 3, 2022), skipped his birthday celebrations after communal tension broke out in Jodhpur and led to stone-pelting. Five policemen were injured in the incident that took place past midnight, hours before Eid.

The situation was said to be brought under control with heavy deployment of police, but the tension reportedly re-escalated after the Namaz of Eid on Tuesday morning when some people pelted stones near the Jalori Gate in Jodhpur. 

A few vehicles were damaged, the PTI news agency reported.

जोधपुर में कल देर रात से जो तनाव पैदा हुआ है वो बहुत ही दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। हमारे राजस्थान की, मारवाड़ की परम्परा रही है कि सभी समाज के, सभी धर्मों के लोग हमेशा, हर त्यौहारों पर भी प्रेम भाईचारे से रहते आए हैं, मैं अपील करना चाहूंगा कि तमाम लोग शांति बनाए रखें और तनाव समाप्त करें। pic.twitter.com/jy4phzdHvO — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) May 3, 2022

In the wake of clashes in Jodhpur, Gehlot has now called a high-level security meeting with Rajasthan DGP and other officials regarding the law and order situation in the state.

#WATCH | Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot holds a meeting with officials in connection with the clashes that broke out in Jodhpur pic.twitter.com/CY4easF8Rp — ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) May 3, 2022

Earlier in the day, Gehlot had called the incident unfortunate and had appealed to the people to maintain peace.

"While respecting the tradition of love and brotherhood of Jodhpur, Marwar, I make a touching appeal to all the parties to maintain peace and cooperate in restoring law and order," he had said in a tweet.

Gehlot said he has instructed the administration to maintain peace and order.

जोधपुर, मारवाड़ की प्रेम एवं भाईचारे की परंपरा का सम्मान करते हुए मैं सभी पक्षों से मार्मिक अपील करता हूं कि शांति बनाए रखें एवं कानून-व्यवस्था बनाने में सहयोग करें। — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) May 3, 2022

Jodhpur, notably, is the hometown of Gehlot.

Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in Jodhpur.

Rajasthan | In order to maintain law and order in Jodhpur, internet services has been temporarily suspended in the city. pic.twitter.com/lnv0KXM4fl — ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) May 3, 2022

As per reports, members of the minority community were installing Eid flags and they put up a flag on a roundabout alongside the statue of freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa. This led to a confrontation as the other community alleged that a saffron flag they had put up there ahead of Parshuram Jayanti, had gone missing. The issue snowballed into stone-pelting and clashes, following which the Police rushed to the spot to control the situation. 

Five policemen were injured in the incident.

(With agency inputs)