Naresh Meena, an independent candidate in the Deoli-Uniara by-polls, was arrested a day after evading arrest for slapping Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Amit Chaudhary.

After the police attempted to arrest the independent candidate, major violence broke out in Samravata village of Rajasthan’s Tonk late at night on Wednesday. The independent candidate is contesting the Deoli-Uniara by-polls. Reportedly, a video showed Naresh Meena slapping the SDM outside a polling booth where Chaudhary was overseeing election procedures.

The rioters also pelted stones at the officers and set several vehicles on fire. As tensions in the area remain high, Ajmer Range IG Om Prakash confirmed that nearly 60 people have been arrested so far.

The unrest left a trail of destruction in the village. Reports said, around 24 large vehicles and 48 motorcycles were put on fire, with significant damage to multiple homes. Considering the situation, the Special Task Force (STF) units were deployed early Thursday morning to carry out search operations and restore order.

Giving an account of the incident, Tonk SP Vikas Sangwan narrated that in Samravata village, some people had boycotted voting. In an effort to address the issue, SDM, Tehsildar, Additional SP, and other officers visited the area, when independent candidate Naresh Meena entered the voting station and physically assaulted the SDM, he continued. Vikas Sangwam also added that the Additional SP immediately restrained him. The Tonk SP held that action will be taken as per the law. He also clarified that following their intervention, voting resumed peacefully.

Meanwhile, Independent candidate Naresh Meena alleged that SDM Amit Chaudhary had previously assaulted locals. He said that the SDM had earlier beaten a woman in Hindoli, along with her husband and a teacher, and forced them to cast votes under threats of job loss. He claimed that his supporters have been harassed since October 25, his campaign posters were torn down, and attempts were made to prevent people from voting for him.

As Delhi continues to choke with hazardous air pollution, the BJP on Wednesday demanded the AAP government to urgently close all schools up to Class 5. They also slammed the Delhi government for allowing the city to devolve into a gas chamber.

In a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that both private and government schools should be shut down for the safety of children, given the alarming level of air pollution in the national capital and its adjoining regions.

He added that children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution. He also pointed out the lack of government clinics providing essential treatments to mitigate these dangers.

The Delhi BJP President emphasised that the AAP government has utterly failed to manage pollution levels in the national capital, mentioning that PM 2.5 concentrations have soared beyond 400 and PM 10 levels exceeded 1,000. Virendra Sachdeva said that Delhi is now a gas chamber where people are choking and suffering from respiratory issues.

Delhi saw its first dense fog of the season on Wednesday, with air quality recorded as very poor. As per the real-time data from the Central Pollution Board (CPCB), the air quality index has surged to 366. 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the pollution had reduced visibility to 100 metres (328 feet) in some places by around 8 a.m. It said the city’s temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday morning from 17.9 C on Tuesday and may fall further as sunlight remains cut off due to the smog.

Notably, the second stage of Graded Response Action Plan remains in force in the national capital, which entails mechanical sweeping and water sprinkling on identified roads, and implementation of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites.

The Election Commission on Wednesday checked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s bag amid Uddhav Thackeray’s allegation.

The Chief Minister’s bags were checked after his helicopter landed at the Palghar Police ground helipad. The action followed after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray questioned the election panel after his bags were checked by officials. The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said his bags had been inspected by the election authorities after he arrived in Latur and Yavatmal districts over the last two days.

He asked the Election Commission officials if the same action will be taken against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Addressing a public meeting in Wani, Uddhav Thackeray said that he is not angry with the ECI officials as they were doing their duty, and questioned whether they check the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis.

Reacting to the allegations, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that Uddhav Thackeray was trying to divert the attention by needlessly protesting against the checking of his bags by poll officials and was seeking votes by whining.

The Deputy Chief Minister questioned what is wrong in checking bags, adding that their bags were also checked during campaigning, and that there was no need for this level of frustration. He mentioned that the Election Commission officials followed the same procedure with his campaign team too.

Earlier in the day, bags of deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar were also checked by EC officials in Baramati. The Maharashtra BJP had also posted a video on X showing officials checking Devendra Fadnavis’ bags.

The Maharashtra Assembly Election will be held on November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 13.