BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla slams Rajasthan Minister for his remarks on Kota hit & run case

Hitting out at Rajasthan Minister Shanti Dhariwal over passing controversial statements on the recent hit and run incident that took place in Kota, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala has launched a scathing attack at the state minister calling it a very "shameful" statement. 

Poonawalla while sharing a video of the minister's remarks on his Twitter handle wrote, "3 days ago car runs over family sleeping on footpath in Kota; 1 dead. Gehlot minister Shanti Dhariwal says if car runs over labour or those from “other castes” sleeping on footpath, it is their fault… Blames poor forced to sleep on footpath not reckless drivers. Shameful!"

Notably, in the video shared on the BJP spokesperson's Twitter handle, the Rajasthan Minister can be seen saying that if such people including the labourers and people from other castes are sleeping on the footpath, it is their own fault. "Several night shelters and community halls have been opened for them where they can go and sleep. There is no solution for such people who will willingly sleep on the roads instead of the shelters", he added. 

This is not the first when the minister has stoked a controversy with his statements. Earlier in March, Dhariwal while speaking in the Rajasthan Assembly said that the state is number one in rape cases. "We are leading in rape cases. There's no doubt. Why are we ahead in rape cases? Rajasthan has been the state of men."

Kota hit and run case

The incident took place on Friday when a speeding car ran over three members of a family who were sleeping on the footpath outside the MBS Hospital further, killing one of them. While the 45-year-old Dinesh Bawariya, a vegetable vendor, died on the spot, his wife and their seven-year-old son are undergoing treatment for critical injuries, the area's DSP, Kaluram Verma, said.

Informing about the same, the area's DSP Kaluram Verma said that the driver abandoned the car on the spot and fled away, however, the man is yet to be traced. The police further also informed that the family used to live in makeshift accommodation on the footpath outside the hospital. 

Image: ANI/Twitter/@Shehzad_IND