A Hindutva organisation accused the Ratlam Police of hurting religious sentiments. Hours later, Ratlam Superintendent of Police Rahul Kumar Lodha was transferred
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Madhya Pradesh has come under severe criticism for transferring Ratlam Superintendent of Police Rahul Kumar Lodha. The official got the marching orders days after he quelled rumours about the breaking of idols and FIRs were lodged against Hindutva leaders for stone-pelting on the police force.
The senior police official faced the wrath of the government and Hindutva groups by quashing the rumours of the breaking of idols by some Muslims in the city’s Mochipur area last Saturday. Addressing a press conference the next day, Lodha nailed the lies spread by some Hindutva groups. “Rumour mongering” must not be believed, he said.
“No idol was damaged in any manner. There are photographs and videos. The police had visited (the site of the alleged incident) and checked. We are trying to trace if there has been stone-pelting and if someone has been injured due to it. If this is established, necessary action will be taken,” the official told reporters.
However, Hindutva groups did not budge and held a protest at the Station Road police station demanding action against the one who was rumoured to have pelted stones at the Ganesh idol. The protestors clashed with the police and vandalised a vehicle. The police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob and registered an FIR against 150 people including the district vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.
Immediately afterward, a Hindutva organisation submitted a memorandum to the District Collector criticising the Ratlam Police and accusing them of hurting religious sentiments. Hours later, Lodha was transferred to Bhopal’s Government Railway Police.
The transfer has evoked a sharp reaction from the Congress. Former chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh said that Lodha was transferred because he foiled an attempt to incite riots.
“Once again an attempt is being made to create communal tension in MP. A few days ago, a Ganesha procession was being taken out in Ratlam. Pressure was exerted on the SP to implicate a person from a particular religion by spreading false rumours of stone pelting. The police honestly exposed the story of planning to trap innocent people by spreading rumours and sending the conspirators to jail.
“Ratlam SP Rahul Kumar Lodha was constantly being pressured to implicate innocent people. But he honestly followed the Indian Constitution and the law and foiled the attempt to incite riots. I congratulate him,” said Singh.
He pointed out that the action of the Madhya Pradesh government has violated the instructions of the Supreme Court.
“Where the MP Government @CMMadhyaPradesh and @DGP_MP were to praise him, he was transferred. The Madhya Pradesh government has clearly violated the instructions of the Honourable Supreme Court. If innocent people were framed and their houses were bulldozed, we would get a lot of praise. To what extent is this justified?” Singh asked.
Supriya Shrinate, the chairperson of Congress’s social media cell, said Lodha was punished for telling the truth.
“Create riots, otherwise you will be removed – this is the mantra of the BJP government. It was alleged that Muslims pelted stones on Ganesh idol procession. Ratlam SP said: This was just a rumour, there was no stone pelting. BJP removed the SP. There was no reward, but punishment for telling the truth,” Shrinate said.
