One arrested for vandalising Veer Tejaji Maharaj statue in Jaipur, says Police

Speaking to ANI, Jaipur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Tejaswani Gautam said, "More than 10 teams of our worked and arrested the accused Siddharth Singh. He runs a cafe in Raja Park."

"He said that he was mentally disturbed because his work was not going well, so when he saw the temple and offered prayer there, he got angry in frustration and vandalised the statue. The accused was immediately traced out and arrested within a few hours," DCP Gautam said.

Meanwhile, a wave of unrest swept through Jaipur's Pratap Nagar area after a statue of Veer Tejaji Maharaj, a revered folk deity in Rajasthan, was allegedly vandalised by unidentified miscreants late Friday night.

The incident sparked outrage among locals, who took to the streets on Saturday, hampering the vehicular movement on the busy Tonk Road as a mark of dissent.

In response to the rising tensions, Jaipur Police deployed forces across sensitive zones. Additional Police Commissioner Rameshwar Choudhary confirmed that the situation was under control and peaceful as of Saturday afternoon.

"The condition is peaceful here now and some miscreants were arrested. The matter is being investigated. I appeal to the public to maintain peace and the accused will soon be arrested," Choudhary said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Tejaswini Gautam added that police teams responded immediately upon receiving information about the incident.

"Police reached the spot immediately after the information about the incident was received. FIR was registered, and multiple teams have been deployed to investigate who is responsible. Some miscreants tried to spread fire into the petrol pump (nearby) and were removed using some force. Some of them have been detained, and the action is being taken as per law," he said.

The act of desecration drew strong political condemnation. Rajasthan Minister Sumit Godara condemned the incident and said, "I condemn this incident. Some anti-social elements are trying to disturb social harmony, but I appeal to everyone to maintain peace, and the government will take strict action against the culprits..."

In addition, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot issued a statement, calling the vandalism "extremely condemnable."

In a post on X, he wrote, "The incident of breaking the statue of Veer Tejaji Maharaj in Pratap Nagar, Jaipur, is extremely condemnable. This kind of tampering with public sentiments and faith is unacceptable."

"There is a demand from the government that the culprits of this case should be identified immediately and strict action should be taken against them. Also, effective and strong arrangements should be made to ensure the safety of religious places so that such incidents do not recur in future," read the statement further.

Veer Tejaji Maharaj is deeply respected in Rajasthan, especially among the farming community, and any perceived disrespect to his legacy is seen as an insult to cultural sentiments. (ANI)