Rajasthan simmers after Rajput leader's killing, hunt on for two suspects

Protests and disruptions of train and bus services took place across the state as schools, colleges, shops and markets remained closed today. Rajput Karni Sena supporters also took out protest rallies and burnt tyres especially in the state capital.

Jaipur: Rajasthan observed a near total bandh on Wednesday over the daylight murder of Karni Sena leader Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi even as police raided many probable hideouts to nab the accused.

Gogamedi, 50, president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation working for the protection of culture, tradition, history and honour of Rajputs, was shot dead at his home in Jaipur’s Shyam Nagar locality on Tuesday afternoon by three gunmen because of rivalry and enmity between gangs.

One of the assailants, identified as Naveen Singh Shekhawat, was gunned down in retaliatory firing. Gogamedi was dead on the spot although he was later taken to the hospital. Hundreds of Rajput youths began gathering in the hospital premises demanding immediate arrest of the assailants and gave a call for bandh today.

Protests and disruptions of train and bus services took place across the state as schools, colleges, shops and markets remained closed today.

Rajput Karni Sena supporters took out protest rallies, burnt tyres especially in the state capital. The Khatipura road was blocked by the protesters. The city wore a deserted look as shops remained closed in major markets like Chandpol Bazar, Kishanpol Bazar, MI Road, Sodala and other areas. Bus services remained affected in the city. Police presence was seen in the main thoroughfares of the city.

In Bhilwara, hundreds of protestors disrupted the train services by protesting on the railway track.

In Jodhpur, protestors took to the streets, burnt tyres and went inside the railway station, ransacked some shops, raising slogans and demanding the strictest punishment for the assailants.

In Udaipur, thousands of Rajput supporters gathered outside the District Collectorate and demanded arrests and punishment.

Normal life was disrupted in Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, Ajmer and Chittorgarh as protesters took out rallies across the cities.

Meanwhile a Special Investigation Team has been constituted by the Director General of Police Umesh Mishra to catch the assailants. It will be led by Kailash Chand Bishnoi, Additional Commissioner of Police (First), this was informed by DGP, Umesh Mishra. A cash reward of Rs 5 lakh has also been announced for any information leading to the arrest of the two accused.

The two accused on the run have been identified as Rohit Rathore Makrana of Jaipur and Nitin Fauji of Haryana. The Rohit Godara gang has taken responsibility for the killing. Raids are being conducted in all the possible hideouts of the accused including Bikaner and Haryana.

Gogamedi, who was a resident of Bhadra in Hanumangarh and ticket aspirant in the recent Assembly polls, is said to have received death threats and had requested security from the police at least thrice. He had contested as a BSP candidate in 2013 but lost. The outfit under him had also organised a Kesariya Mahapanchayat in Jaipur, demanding an increase in Economic Weaker Section quota in general castes.

Rajputs form about 12 per cent of the population in Rajasthan and have influence over 30 seats. They are traditionally BJP voters but had voted for Congress in 2018 when 17 Rajputs had won. This time in 2023, BJP has 17 Rajput MLAs and Congress has only one Rajput MLA.

Gogamedi was part of Karni Sena, a socio-cultural outfit which was founded by Lokendra Singh Kalvi, who passed away this year. It wields power and influence amongst the Rajput community. All political parties in Rajasthan try to woo this section through this organisation. Lokendra’s son Bhawani Singh Kalvi had joined BJP just days before the Assembly elections in October this year.

Karni Sena first gained notoriety in 2008 after it opposed Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Bollywood film Jodhaa Akbar, in which they claimed Jodha was not Akbar’s wife and hence their history was being distorted. The film could not be released in Rajasthan.

The more recent protest was in 2017 against Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film Padmaavat, in which they said their queen Padmavati was being depicted wrongly. Actress Deepika Padukone was threatened and Bhansali roughed up on the sets. Gogamedi was supposed to be behind the attack on the sets of the movie.

Gogamedi, who was part of the Karni Sena, broke away due to internal bickering and formed the Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena and became its president. In 2021, they again came together and the organisation came to be known as Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena.

Meanwhile politics has started over the killing with BJP’s newly elected MLA Diya Kumari, a Rajput herself, saying that law and order had completely failed in the last five years of Congress rule and these kinds of killings have become routine in Rajasthan.

Former Chief Minister Ashok MInister said in a post on X :” The incident of the murder of Shri Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi is very sad. I pray to God to give peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear the loss.”