Jaipur, Sep 12 : The Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) on Thursday accused Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma of flouting bail norms by travelling abroad without taking permission from the court.

To recall, an anticipatory bail was granted to Bhajan Lal Sharma in 2013 by a district court in Jaipur in the 2011 Gopalgarh (Bharatpur) riots case.

The Congress reaction came after a lawyer filed a petition in the district court alleging that Chief Minister Sharma has violated the conditions of anticipatory bail by travelling abroad without taking permission from the court in connection with the trial related to the 2011 Gopalgarh riots case.

Sanwar Mal Chaudhary, the petitioner, also demanded that Sharma be arrested under Section 483(3) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) for flouting the norms.

Following the development, Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra also questioned CM Sharma for travelling abroad despite being on bail since 2013 in a case registered by the CBI without taking permission from the court.

"By travelling overseas without the court's permission, the Chief Minister has violated the bail conditions set by the court. This is a serious mistake on the part of a person who holds a responsible and constitutional post like the Chief Minister," Dotasra said.

The state Congress also shared an order issued by the Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge in 2013, and highlighted the sections under which Sharma was held accused along with the terms and conditions which said he cannot travel abroad without taking the court's permission.

Congress' Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully said in a post on X: "It has come to light through the media that advocate Sanwar Chaudhary has filed a petition in the court stating that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma has violated the conditions of anticipatory bail by travelling to South Korea and Japan without the permission of the court.

"If the Chief Minister himself plays with the law, what message will go to the public? The Chief Minister should immediately clear his stand on this matter so that the truth can come out in front of the public."

Meanwhile, state BJP leaders told IANS that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) has been communicated in this regard and a clarification will be issued soon.

/IANS