'If Amit Shah Has Courage...': What Ashok Gehlot Said On "Riots In 7 States"

Claiming that riots happened in seven states on the lines of last month's Karauli violence, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah should form a panel to probe the root cause behind the clashes "if he has the courage".

The violence in Rajasthan's Karauli had taken place on April 2 when some people allegedly threw stones at a bike rally on the occasion of the Hindu New Year. Several vehicles and shops were set on fire. More than 35 people were injured in the violence.

Terming the clashes in Karauli a "laboratory experiment", Mr Gehlot said, "We did not let any riot to occur on Ram Navami." "Riots occurred in seven states on the pattern of Karauli, which should be probed. If Amit Shah Ji has the courage then he should form a committee headed by a Supreme Court or High Court judge to get into the root cause behind the riots that occurred in seven states after the Karauli incident," Mr Gehlot said.

Everything will become clear and riots won't happen in the future, he told reporters in Udaipur.

To a question on repeated violence in Rajasthan, Mr Gehlot said, "It is their (BJP) attempt to ignite a fire as they are losing the next (assembly) election." After taking stock of the preparations for the Congress' Chintan Shivir from May 13 to 15 in Udaipur, Mr Gehlot said politics in the name of religion and caste is dangerous and does not benefit the country.

"The circumstances in the country are very worrisome and everyone is concerned about it. The way politics is being done in the name of religion and caste is dangerous. Some people may find it good, but it is not beneficial for the country," he told reporters.

India remained undivided for 70 years with the efforts of leaders like former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The present generation doesn't know about it and "people in the BJP and the RSS are taking advantage of it", the Congress leader alleged. 

"At all places, they are peddling an agenda. They are holding sit-in protests. This was their plan to fuel riots in Karauli, Rajgarh and Jodhpur. We took timely action so only sporadic incidents happened," Mr Gehlot said.  

Several people have been arrested and the government will not allow violence in Rajasthan at any cost, he said.  The chief minister said that ideological fight has its place but it is the responsibility of political leaders to maintain peace and brotherhood so that no one is hurt.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)