BTP MLAs install statue of tribal hero Poonja, booked

Udaipur: The Dungarpur Sadar police on Friday registered a case against two MLAs and 150 supporters for installing

Rana Poonja

statue without the permission of the city administration.The case has been registered against Rajkumar Roth,

BTP

MLA and Ramprasad Dindor. On Thursday, Roth and

Sagwara MLA Dindor

reached the roundabout near Sadar police station in large numbers and installed the statue of Rana

Poonja

without the permission of the administration.When Roth and Dindor were installing the idol, the police and administration tried to convince them not to install statue, but they did not agree and forcibly installed the statue when the administrative officer and police were occupied with Governor Kalraj Mishra’s Sagwara visit. When the police and administration got the information, they reached the spot. But by then the statue was already installed.There was a dispute earlier regarding installation of the statue of either Jain seer

Tarun Sagar Maharaj

or Rana Poonja. For installing the statue of Jain seer, another roundabout was finalised which brought an end to the dispute. After this, the Municiapla council had got the statue of Rana Poonja made and approved the installation of the idol at Sadar Circle. There was a dispute over taking the onus of statue installation between Dungarpur Municipal Council, Congress MLA from Dungarpur Ganesh Ghoghra and BTP. In order to take the credit, the BTP taking advantage of holidays and governor’s visit installed the statue without the permission of administration.Poonja was the chief of the Bhil tribesman, and one of the most trusted and respected leaders who fought along the side of Maharana Pratap during the battle of Haldighati. He is revered by the tribals in Mewar. Poonja has become a character with various political parties wanting to appropriate his legacy. In the past Punja has been styled as a tribal icon and this positioning of him has coincided with the rise of political parties such as the BTP which talks of tribal assertion. The demand for a separate Bhil state comprising the tribal districts is also related to the issue.