By IANS
New Delhi : Sachin Pilot, the Congress MP from Dausa in Rajasthan, Monday alleged that the state government violated the agitating Gujjar community’s human rights and demanded an inquiry by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Pilot led a delegation of community leaders to the NHRC and presented an eight-page memorandum detailing the alleged denial of basic amenities to the Gujjar agitators who have been courting arrests in different parts of Rajasthan, and demanding a Scheduled Tribe status.
The Gujjars launched their agitation to court arrests in the state on Oct 2 to press for their demand.
Pilot too was arrested and lodged in a makeshift jail for a couple of days.
“During the entire exercise of protests and agitations, it was ensured this time that the law and order situation was maintained. Despite that, the state machinery left no stone unturned in ensuring ill treatment to those who courted arrests,” Pilot told IANS.
Many agitators had to be taken to hospitals due to the unhygienic conditions and unhealthy food in the camp jails, Pilot said in his complaint to the rights panel.
“Owing to the gross neglect of these basic requirements, hundreds of community members had to be shifted to hospital for immediate medical attention in 259 makeshift jails in 21 divisions of the state,” the complaint said.