Police officers try to rescue a sadhu from Rajasthan after he sets himself on fire
jaipur:
A sadhu set himself on fire in protest at inaction against quarrying in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district. The sadhu, Vijay Das, has been taken to Delhi for treatment, police said, adding that the condition is stable.
Seers from a group called Braj Parvat Evum Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti had protested to demand a ban on quarrying in areas considered sacred and associated with Lord Krishna’s life.
Another sadhu, Narayan Das, who climbed a cellular tower in protest against quarrying, was persuaded by the police to come down safely.
The Congress-ruled state government has said it would issue a notice declaring this area a forest area. This means that the mines would be moved because they cannot operate in a notified forest area. However, the government said the operational mines are working legally.
About 2,500 people will lose their jobs if these units are closed, the government said.
The sadhus have ended their protest after the government promised to close old mines.
The opposition BJP has berated Ashok Gehlot’s government for allegedly not listening to the sadhu’s demands for a long time.
“The state government did not listen to the demands of saints and seers to stop illegal mining. A saint’s attempt to set himself on fire is the result of this,” said BJP leader and former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
The incident in Rajasthan took place days after a police officer was run over by a truck while trying to stop illegal quarrying in neighboring Haryana.
The truck driver has been arrested. The horrific incident captured the terror of the mining mafia in Haryana.
