Jaipur Police Use Water Cannons as BJP and Congress Hold Competing Protests
Jaipur, Rajasthan – Tensions flared between police and protesters from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (Congress) in Jaipur on Wednesday, as authorities deployed water cannons to prevent marchers from advancing.
The protests were part of a spillover from demonstrations held in the national capital the previous day, which were related to the NEET examination controversy. On Tuesday, Congress workers had staged a protest outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In response, the BJP, led by its Rajasthan state president Madan Rathore, organized a counter-protest on Wednesday.
The BJP march began from the party office and proceeded towards the Congress headquarters. However, police had set up barricades at Chomu House to stop the procession. As protesters attempted to push through the barricades, a scuffle broke out with police personnel, prompting officers to use water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Following the protest, Rathore, whose clothes were drenched from the water cannon action, alleged that the demonstrators at Jantar Mantar in Delhi were “hired agitators and trained stone-pelters” and that the protest was “funded from abroad.” The Congress party has not yet issued an official response to these allegations.
No injuries were reported from the incident, and police maintained that the use of water cannons was necessary to prevent a breach of law and order. The situation in the area remains calm, with both parties having concluded their respective demonstrations.
