Jaipur, July 21 (IANS) After spending eight months in jail for slapping a Sub-Divisional Magistrate during polling in Deoli-Uniyara (November 2024), political leader Naresh Meena has launched his ‘Jankranti Yatra’ from Kamkheda Balaji Dham in Manoharthana, Jhalawar, on Monday.

The yatra, aimed at protesting corruption and injustice, will cover 150 km and conclude on July 28 at Trikuta Mata Temple in Kota.

During the launch, Naresh Meena fiercely criticised the government, saying, “Great men have sacrificed everything for the nation. What do I have? At most, they’ll get my petrol pump shut.”

He alleged a widespread nexus of corruption in every department and warned that if the current situation continues, not only common people but even farmers and leaders would lose their land.

Addressing the gathering, former minister Rajendra Gudha supported Meena, condemning the government’s action and calling it an injustice.

“What happened with Naresh Meena should never happen to any youth again,” Gudha said.

Referring to the recent violence in Samaravata village, he remarked, “The village is deserted now. That mob was the reaction to the mistreatment of women and children. It has sent a strong message.”

Gudha further warned the government that public unrest could rise if the system continued to silence dissenters.

Quoting Chanakya, he said, “When the king becomes a businessman, the public becomes beggars.”

He alleged that all leaders have turned into businessmen, abandoning public welfare.

The coordinator of the yatra, Sohag Meena, said around 300 workers are accompanying Naresh Meena. The first halt was at Harnavada, Baran district, and the march will continue through several villages before concluding in Kota.

The yatra is being viewed as a political statement against what Meena and his supporters term as administrative high-handedness and systemic corruption.

–IANS

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