Water cannons, scuffle mark Congress protest over Jaipur civic failures

Monday saw water cannons deployed against Congress party workers, as protests against the Jaipur Municipal Corporation escalated into a physical altercation with the police. Organized under the banner of the Congress's 'Hisaab Mango Rally', the demonstrators marched towards the municipal corporation headquarters, voicing grievances over the alleged governance failures of the BJP-led administration. These perceived missteps included poor infrastructure, rampant corruption, and coercive tax collection practices.

At the forefront of the protest were State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, and former minister Pratap Singh Khachariwala. Dotasra, in particular, levelled charges against the BJP for the "poor" condition of Jaipur's infrastructure. He pointed to the absence of road construction even in his own Assembly constituency, Sanganer, and criticized the worsening drainage and waterlogging issues in the city following recent rains.

Dotasra warned that the Congress party would ramp up its protests, indicating that police barricades would not deter their efforts.

Tikaram Jully echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the rally was not merely a demonstration but a powerful expression of "public anger" against the BJP government's failures and broken promises. He lamented that Jaipur, renowned worldwide for its unique heritage, culture, and architecture, had been reduced to a state of "utter disappointment" due to the BJP's inaction.

The protest drew significant attention, causing traffic disruptions on Tonk Road and Ajmer Road. Authorities were forced to implement traffic diversions along multiple routes to manage the situation. The Congress party has pledged to persist with its agitation, vowing to continue its protests until the civic issues they have highlighted are satisfactorily addressed.