Rajasthan bypoll: Independent MLA candidate who slapped SDM in Tonk arrested

Naresh Meena, an Independent MLA candidate from Rajasthan’s Tonk district, was arrested on Thursday, a day after he allegedly slapped a sub-divisional magistrate during a bypoll polling in full view of camera crews.
Naresh Meena, a Congress rebel contesting as an Independent, caught SDM Malpura, Amit Chaudhary, by his collar and slapped him.
News agency PTI reported that Amit Chaudhary was trying to get more people to vote. Locals had boycotted polling over a demand to include Samravta village in the Uniara sub-division instead of Deoli, as Uniara is the nearest location. The report added that Naresh Meena was supporting the villagers.
The incident led to tension in the area, with vehicles being torched, police being pelted with stones and 60 people arrested.
About 60 two-wheelers and 18 four-wheelers were torched in the violence that erupted outside the polling booth. Police personnel tried to remove Meena and his supporters who sat on a dharna in Samravta village in the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency.
The Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) Association called for a pen-down strike and government work was affected for some time in the morning.
Four cases were registered against Meena, including for disrupting public work and damaging public property.