Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has dared Union home minister Amit Shah to order a judicial probe into the clashes during Ram Navami, saying riots will not happen in future if the real reasons for the violence are ascertained.

“If Amit Shah has the guts, he should order an investigation,” Gehlot said, referring to the sudden eruption of violence last month in many states, mostly while processions organised by Hindutva groups were passing through Muslim neighbourhoods.

“Let there be a committee with judges of the Supreme Court or high courts that should go to the root, find out what the causes of violence were. What the plans were; who was behind it. If the true reasons are found, riots will stop in future,” Gehlot added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah have been silent on the visuals of violence from several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha and Jharkhand. Curfew had to be imposed in Khargone (Madhya Pradesh) and Karauli (Rajasthan).

While leaders of the Congress and the BJP have blamed each other, Gehlot has been the first senior politician to demand a judicial probe. He has unambiguously accused the RSS-BJP of instigating the violence in Rajasthan and elsewhere.

“They know they are losing the election in Rajasthan (due in December 2023). So they resorted to this trick — aag lagao (light a fire). What happened in Karauli was an experiment. The same pattern was seen in other states on Ram Navami,” he said.

“Karauli was supposed to be the laboratory. We didn’t allow riots on Ram Navami; people from different communities showered flowers on Ram Navami processions.”

Gehlot added: “They wanted to spark trouble in other places as well. But we acted in time and controlled the situation. We won’t tolerate arson, rioting. We respect the Constitution. We won’t spare anybody. I appeal to all the political parties: follow your ideology but don’t instigate violence. It is the duty of every political party to work for peace and social harmony. Don’t light a fire….”

The three-term chief minister said politics based on religion and caste was dangerous and harmed the national interest.

“India has survived for 75 years because we respected the culture of diversity. We remained united despite differences. Russia broke up, but India survived,” he said.

“There were leaders who sacrificed their lives to keep India united. Indira Gandhi gave her life. (Punjab chief minister and Congress politician) Beant Singh was assassinated but they didn’t allow Khalistan to take shape.”

Gehlot added: “The younger generation doesn’t know about this (history) and the RSS-BJP takes advantage of that. They planned to create trouble in several parts of Rajasthan. In Rajgarh (Alwar), it was their (civic) board that did it.”

Three temples, including one said to be 300 years old, were demolished in Rajasthan’s Alwar district last month, triggering controversy and prompting the BJP to blame the Congress.

The Congress has contested the charge by underscoring that the Rajgarh municipality, which passed the resolution for the anti-encroachment drive, was dominated by the BJP.

The Gehlot government has suspended three officials and ordered a judicial probe. At that time, too, the chief minister had obliquely blamed the BJP, quipping that it had begun its preparations for the Assembly elections a little too early.