9 hours ago
Kanwarlal Meena's bid for guv pardon opposed by civil society group
Jaipur: Civil society group Friday condemned the BJP govt's alleged attempt to secure a pardon through the governor for its convicted ex-MLA Kanwarlal Meena. The former Anta MLA was convicted for threatening a govt officer with a pistol in 2005.
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He was disqualified from the state assembly on May 23. On Thursday, he submitted a petition for pardon before governor Haribhau Bagde.
Soochna Evam Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan (SR Abhiyan) called it shocking and deeply disturbing that a govt would seek to pardon someone convicted of criminal misconduct while in office. Nikhil Dey, a founding member of SR Abhiyan, said the BJP govt cannot claim to uphold the Constitution while working to shield those with a history of abuse and violence.
"Would a common citizen convicted of such an act receive such consideration? This is a betrayal of the very idea of equal justice," he said.
He pointed out Meena's criminal history was well-documented. In addition to the 2005 conviction, he faced multiple allegations, including of attacking govt officials and disturbing public order. During the 2023 assembly elections, he was accused of making inflammatory speeches that vitiated the election environment in Anta, Dey said.
In 2016, as a sitting MLA, Meena and his supporters reportedly assaulted peaceful marchers—including women—participating in SR Abhiyan's 100-day accountability yatra in Aklera, a video of which was later circulated widely, Dey said.
He said SR Abhiyan would take the issue to the people and fight to ensure that justice was not sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. "We are not raising this issue to target individuals, but to protect the basic principles of justice and accountability.
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Public office should come with a higher standard of ethics, not impunity," Dey said.
Jaipur: Civil society group Friday condemned the BJP govt's alleged attempt to secure a pardon through the governor for its convicted ex-MLA Kanwarlal Meena. The former Anta MLA was convicted for threatening a govt officer with a pistol in 2005. He was disqualified from the state assembly on May 23. On Thursday, he submitted a petition for pardon before governor Haribhau Bagde.
Soochna Evam Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan (SR Abhiyan) called it shocking and deeply disturbing that a govt would seek to pardon someone convicted of criminal misconduct while in office. Nikhil Dey, a founding member of SR Abhiyan, said the BJP govt cannot claim to uphold the Constitution while working to shield those with a history of abuse and violence. "Would a common citizen convicted of such an act receive such consideration? This is a betrayal of the very idea of equal justice," he said.
He pointed out Meena's criminal history was well-documented. In addition to the 2005 conviction, he faced multiple allegations, including of attacking govt officials and disturbing public order. During the 2023 assembly elections, he was accused of making inflammatory speeches that vitiated the election environment in Anta, Dey said. In 2016, as a sitting MLA, Meena and his supporters reportedly assaulted peaceful marchers—including women—participating in SR Abhiyan's 100-day accountability yatra in Aklera, a video of which was later circulated widely, Dey said.
He said SR Abhiyan would take the issue to the people and fight to ensure that justice was not sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. "We are not raising this issue to target individuals, but to protect the basic principles of justice and accountability. Public office should come with a higher standard of ethics, not impunity," Dey said.
