Bharatpur: Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Ranjeeta KoliтАЩs car was forced to stop and the rear windshield smashed by six goons shortly late on Thursday evening in Bharatpur, nearly 200 km from Rajasthan capital Jaipur, the Lok Sabha member told the police.
The Lok Sabha MP said the unidentified attackers hurled a brick at her car and attacked the car with iron rods, presumably to intimidate them.
тАЬWe all were safe but the car was damaged in the attack. I fainted but my security guard saved us. We have no enemy who wants to kill me,тАЭ the 41-year-old lawmaker said after the attack that provoked her party to amp up its criticism of the Ashok Gehlot government.
Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje said the attack on the MP reflected the deteriorating law and order situation and contradicted the Congress governmentтАЩs claims that women in the state are safe. тАЬIn reality, anarchy has only grown under the shield of political patronage,тАЭ she said, demanding that the police should track down down the culprits and take stringent action against them
Ranjeeta Koli said the car was intercepted and attacked near Dharsoni village on Hantara-Weir road at about 11.30pm when she was returning after visiting the Raj Bahadur Memorial hospital.
A personal security officer, her brother, and two others were in the car when the incident took place.
The first-time MP was taken to the district hospital for a check up and first-aid. She later returned to the circuit house.
Bharatpur superintendent of police Devendra Kumar Bishnoi said a police team was rushed to soon after being informed about the incident. тАЭWe have registered a case against unknown accused who attacked the MP. All accused will be identified and arrested soon,тАЭ he said.
The MP told the police that she had been visiting health centers and hospitals in her constituency district to see the management for patients during a Covid-19 crisis.
Rajasthan health minister Dr Subhash Garg told the police to arrest the goons and assured her that she would get better treatment and security.
Ranjeeta Koli, a first-time MP, won the seat by a margin of over 300,000 votes. Her father-in-law Ganga Ram Koli was a three-time BJP MP from Bayana-Dholpur Lok Sabha seat.
Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia said the Bharatpur MP during her recent inspections had exposed inadequate arrangements at CHCs (Community Health Centers). Leader of the opposition in the assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria, described the attack on the lawmaker as a matter of grave concern.
тАЬThe manner in which she was attacked at a secluded corner in the night while visiting hospitals raises alarming questions. I have spoken to IG Bharatpur about the case. The government and the police should investigate this case diligently,тАЭ he said.
