Rajasthan Village Alleges Power, Water Cuts After Minister Faced Tough Questions from Locals

In Rajasthan’s Gurdai village, tensions flared after Cabinet Minister Joraram Kumawat faced uncomfortable questions from locals about poor road conditions during his visit to lay foundation stones and inaugurate development projects. The incident occurred on Saturday in Sumerpur, Pali district, where Kumawat, who oversees Animal Husbandry, Dairy, Gopalan, and Devasthan departments, visited the Panchayat Bhawan. Locals expressed their discontent over the lack of road construction and unhygienic conditions. When the minister’s supporters tried to pacify the crowd, saying Kumawat had other engagements, the situation escalated, prompting the minister to leave without addressing the gathering.

The next day, on Sunday, residents alleged that in retaliation, officials from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and the electricity board arrived in the village to disconnect water and power supplies under the pretext of “illegal connections.” A viral video captured a resident, Meena, stating that connections were being cut because villagers had dared to question the minister. Meena added that his house, with a five-year-old water connection and a 45-year-old electricity line, was being unfairly targeted. He insisted that he paid all dues and if the connections were considered illegal, due process with prior notice should have been followed.

Meena claimed he was specifically targeted for submitting a memorandum and speaking out during the minister’s visit. He described the officials’ behavior as harassment, saying he recorded the video for his own protection against mental torture by BJP workers and government representatives. According to Meena, police officials even warned that protesting in front of a BJP minister could result in jail time, which he condemned as misuse of power.

He further alleged that local BJP leaders were targeting him and others because they belonged to the SC/ST communities, presuming them to be Congress supporters. However, Meena clarified that they were common citizens following the teachings of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He emphasized their right to question elected representatives and demanded that ministers listen to people’s concerns rather than intimidate them.

The Congress party condemned the incident, calling it an example of "BJP’s dictatorship," and circulated the video online. They alleged the villagers were being punished for exercising their democratic right to question authority.

Eventually, as more villagers gathered in solidarity, the officials withdrew without executing any disconnections, allegedly after receiving calls from their senior officers.

Minister Kumawat was unavailable for comment. However, on Saturday, he had claimed that some Congress workers tried to disrupt the event and said he had directed the administration to clean the roads and plan for their construction.

Regarding the allegations of misuse of administrative machinery, Pali District Collector Laxmi Narain Mantri distanced himself from the issue, advising reporters to “talk to the honourable minister” and stating that administrative officers perform their designated duties.

In a separate but related development, Lok Sabha MP Hanuman Beniwal, who himself faced power disconnection at his Nagaur residence due to unpaid bills, pointed out that Rajasthan Energy Minister Heeralal Nagar owed ₹2.17 lakh to Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd. Sharing a copy of the bill, Beniwal criticized the double standards, saying, “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others.” Minister Nagar did not respond to calls for comment.