Rajasthan: BJP Councillors Climb Water Tank, Demand Chhabra Sub-Division Be Declared District

Three BJP councillors climbed atop a water tank on Sunday, demanding that the Rajasthan government declare Chhabra, a sub-division in Baran, an independent district.
    
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had last month announced the formation of 19 new districts and three new divisions in the state. It was the first time since 2008 that new districts were carved out in Rajasthan, taking the number of districts in the state to 50.
    
Councillors Vipin Sharma, Rohit Arora, and Manmohan Sain of the Chhabra municipality were arrested under section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offence) of the CrPC, but let off with a warning.
    
The three protested at the top of the Public Health and Engineering Department water tank on Krishi Upaj Mandi premises for around two hours and raised slogans against the state government, accusing it of discriminating against the people of Chhabra.
    
Following the intervention of tehsildar Mukesh Meena and SHO of Chhabra police station Rajesh Kumar, the protesters came down and handed over to the officials, a memorandum addressed to Gehlot demanding that Chhabra be declared a new district.
    
The BJP leaders threatened to relaunch the protest if their demand was not met.
    
The CM announced the formation of 19 new districts but ignored the Chhabra sub-division which has the oldest municipality in the state, constituted in 1906 and fulfils all requirements needed for it to be named a district, the councillors claimed in the memorandum.