BJP MLA alleges nexus between gravel mafias and police, touches Deputy SP’s feet to demand action
Rajasthan- The desert state is witnessing an unprecedented wave of public anger against its police force, with accusations of corruption, collusion with land mafias, and a systematic failure to serve the common man. Within the span of a single week, two separate yet strikingly similar incidents have thrust the state’s law enforcement under an uncomfortable spotlight, revealing a disturbing pattern of institutional decay that has prompted both legal professionals and elected representatives to stage dramatic protests.
The latest flashpoint erupted in the Garhi police station area of Banswara district, where BJP MLA Kailash Chandra Meena staged a sit-in protest that culminated in a viral video showing the legislator in an extraordinary display of frustration and sarcasm. The dramatic confrontation, which unfolded on Saturday evening, saw Meena making the unprecedented gesture of touching the feet of DSP Sudarshan Paliwal in a mocking manner—a moment that has since exploded across social media platforms, symbolizing the depths of his exasperation with the police administration.
The incident began when Meena arrived at the Garhi police station to inquire about the progress of two sensitive cases that had been languishing without proper investigation. The first involved the alleged suicide of a young man and woman, including the grandson of Shantilal Labana (a senior BJP worker), which occurred on May 31st. The second case concerned a brazen land grab in Bedwa panchayat, where property belonging to a deceased woman had allegedly been fraudulently transferred to land mafias. The MLA’s fury was compounded by the fact that the Station House Officer (SHO) was conspicuously absent when he arrived, treating the elected representative’s visit with apparent indifference.
What followed was a scathing indictment of the police system that laid bare the rot within. Meena accused SHO Rohit Kumar of operating the police station like a “dharamshala” (rest house), where land mafias and gravel mafias held sway while genuine victims were systematically extorted. “Poor tribals are being charged money in the name of cases,” Meena declared, painting a picture of a law enforcement system that had inverted its fundamental purpose. Instead of serving justice, the police station had become a hub where brokers and middlemen wielded more influence than the officers themselves.
The confrontation reached its crescendo when DSP Paliwal arrived to defuse the situation. In a moment that encapsulated both desperation and theatrical protest, Meena folded his hands and then touched the DSP’s feet, declaring with heavy sarcasm, “I fold my hands to you, I touch your feet. If you hadn’t come, I would have sent the CI home without clothes.” The statement, delivered with biting irony, was followed by an even more damning assessment: “You have made the police station a den of brokers. Should I keep crying every day? Will I have to sleep on the streets? I am not going to give up.”
The viral video captures Meena’s raw emotion as he oscillates between pleading and threatening, his voice rising as he declares, “I am decent, but I am also bad. I will make them remove their clothes. Will this work for brokers or for people’s representatives?
This explosive confrontation in Banswara comes barely a week after the Udaipur Bar Association President launched a similarly scathing attack on the police department. The legal fraternity’s representative had accused the police of systematic collusion with property dealers, creating an environment where ordinary citizens were forced to pay bribes merely to have their complaints heard. The timing of these two incidents suggests a broader crisis of confidence in Rajasthan’s law enforcement machinery.
The cases that triggered Meena’s protest are themselves emblematic of the systemic failures plaguing the state’s police force. The alleged suicide case from May 31st remains uninvestigated, with no arrests made despite the passage of more than a month. The land grab case presents an even more troubling picture, where not only has the police failed to register a case against the accused land mafias, but the victim has allegedly been framed in false cases instead. This inversion of justice—where victims become accused and criminals roam free—represents a fundamental breakdown of the rule of law.
The repeated references to “brokers” and “middlemen” point to an elaborate ecosystem where genuine police work has been replaced by a pay-to-play system that favors those with money and connections.
The viral nature of the video has amplified the impact of Meena’s protest far beyond the boundaries of Banswara district. Social media platforms have been flooded with the footage, with viewers expressing shock at seeing an elected representative driven to such extreme measures. The image of a BJP MLA touching a police officer’s feet in sarcasm has become a powerful symbol of the frustration felt by public representatives who find themselves powerless against an unresponsive bureaucracy.
The incident also highlights the complex dynamics between political representatives and the police force in Rajasthan. While MLAs are expected to facilitate better governance and ensure that government machinery serves the people, they often find themselves at the mercy of entrenched interests within the system. Meena’s protest suggests that even elected representatives struggle to get basic police cooperation, raising questions about how ordinary citizens fare when seeking justice.
A perfect storm of public scrutiny
The fact that these protests have emerged from different districts and different sections of society—lawyers in Udaipur and an MLA in Banswara—suggests that the problems are not localized but systemic. The common thread of allegations involving property dealers, land mafias, and systematic extortion of common people points to a pattern that may be replicated across the state.
As the video continues to go viral and public discourse intensifies around police accountability, the Rajasthan government faces mounting pressure to address these systemic issues. The dramatic nature of Meena’s protest, combined with the earlier accusations from the Udaipur Bar Association, has created a perfect storm of public scrutiny that demands concrete action rather than mere administrative assurances.
The pattern of corruption allegations emerging from different corners of the state suggests that the problem runs deeper than individual misconduct and points to structural weaknesses in the police administration. The common thread connecting the Udaipur Bar Association’s accusations and the Banswara MLA’s dramatic protest is the alleged entrenchment of officers in their postings, which appears to have facilitated the development of unholy alliances with local criminal elements and business interests.
Time for a stringent Transfer Policy?
This crisis underscores the urgent need for the Rajasthan government to formulate and implement a stringent transfer policy that mandates compulsory rotation of police officers to prevent the consolidation of corrupt networks. The proposed policy framework should ensure that no police officer, regardless of rank, remains stationed in a single district for more than two years. More crucially, transferred officers should be reassigned to separate divisional headquarters rather than being shuffled within the same region, thereby breaking the continuity of local connections that often facilitate corrupt practices.
Such a mandatory transfer mechanism would serve multiple purposes in restoring transparency and ensuring fair working of the police system. First, it would prevent officers from developing deep-rooted relationships with local mafias, property dealers, and other vested interests that currently appear to influence police decision-making. Second, frequent transfers would make it difficult for corrupt networks to establish sustainable operations, as they would constantly need to rebuild their connections with new officers. Third, the policy would ensure that officers bring fresh perspectives to their postings, unencumbered by previous compromises or obligations.
For Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, addressing this crisis represents a crucial test of his administration’s commitment to good governance. The fact that these allegations have emerged from within his own party structure—with a BJP MLA leading one of the protests—makes the situation particularly sensitive and demands immediate action. The restoration of public trust in the police system requires more than just administrative reshuffling; it demands a fundamental shift in the culture of law enforcement in Rajasthan.
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