CM Raje vows to protect students on social media, but ground realities different: Sachin Pilot
Open discrimination and use of violence have become the norm in Rajasthan, said Congress leader Sachin Pilot.
In Short
- Violence and discrimination have become a norm in Rajasthan: Sachin Pilot
- Pilot asked why CM Raje was not condemning the Alwar lynching.
- CM, Home Minister assuring people on social media, but ground realities are different, he said
In an exclusive interview to India Today, Rajasthan Congress Chief Sachin Pilot held the Vasundhara Raje Government responsible for not doing enough to allay the sense of fear among the Kashmiri students in the state.
Now, in full public view, students from Kashmir are chased away, are beaten up, are made to leave in fear. I think it is unbecoming of any civil society where the governments are allowing this to happen. Then, you have the chief minister and home minister of India, saying that they are like our family. Students should be protected and nurtured and cared for and on the other hand, whether it is in one University or in Pilani or other places where scholars, teachers, students are harassed and they are harassed because of the state they come from," said Pilot.
He added that this sort of open discrimination and use of violence have become the norm in Rajasthan.
"You have these cow vigilante groups, you have people who are beaten to death under the open sky, there is a video recording of the entire incident and yet the Government refuses to step in, forget about a fair enquiry. Why has not the chief minister condemned such instances?" asked Pilot.
In BITS Pilani, a Kashmiri project fellow was allegedly at the receiving end of harassment and had left the hostel for his hometown in Kashmir. Few days back, some Kashmiri students were allegedly thrashed by some locals after being involved in an altercation in Chittorgarh district. It had led to demands of security from the Kashmiri students studying in Mewar University.
While speaking with India Today, Pilot claimed the Union Home Minister and Rajasthan Chief Minister have been assuring people in the media but the realities on the ground are different.
"You go onto social media and you express faith that the government will protect students but this law and order breakdown is a very dangerous issue that is taking up in Rajasthan and I think students who come to study here in the city, in Jaipur and Rajasthan must feel that they are secure. Just because you belong to a state or you belong to a particular religion should not be the basis of this brutal assault that we are seeing as some of these kids are facing. It is absolutely unacceptable and it is about time that mere words will not satisfy," he said.
"Rajnath Singhji and Vasundhara ji are assuring people in the media but on the ground, the realities are different. They must see that not only what they say is heard but they must prove themselves by doing action and unfortunately, I am sorry to say, in Rajasthan, there is absolutely no rule of law. People, anti-social elements are taking law into their own hands. When you can have thousands of gau rakshak mandals to protect cows, why don't we have enough people to protect our women, our children and our students who are studying in Rajasthan?", Pilot asked.
Also read:
Kashmiri researcher returns home after harassment at BITS Pilani
Congress attacks Vasundhara Raje government for failing to provide protection to Kashmiri students