Muslim groups took strong exception to CM Ashok Gehlot calling upon the farmers to draw inspiration from Israel in the fields of agriculture, irrigation and water management and feared that this approach would harm Rajasthan both in agricultural technology and in the delicate balance of conflicting interests. Gehlot appealed to farmers to adopt sprinklers and drip irrigation in a big way and asked the farmers’ groups to “visit Israel and learn from its agricultural practices involving less water.” The Rajasthan Muslim Forum expressed “shock and surprise” over Gehlot’s views and said providing legitimacy to Israel in the garb of agricultural cooperation would give it an open licence to interfere in the State’s affairs and disturb the delicate communal harmony.
“We have seen the horrific consequences of cooperation with Israel in neighbouring Gujarat which witnessed the worst post-Partition violence in 2002. Forum said the increasing proximity with Israel might have affected the mindset of the ruling party functionaries in the State, who had denied justice to Muslims in a series of incidents of communal violence at Sarada, Manoharthana, Balesar, Sarwad and Gopalgarh.