Gujjars block rail, roads for fourth day
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Jaipur: Gujjars demanding reservation in government jobs today blocked rail and road routes for the fourth day, leading to the disruption of 19 trains.
The agitators continued to squat on the Delhi-Mumbai rail tracks and blocked Karauli-Hindaun road at Gudhala and Jangipura village, and Mahaveerji-Karauli road at Camery village in Karauli district, police sources said.
However, traffic plied on all the highways, including Jaipur-Delhi and Jaipur-Agra, state roadways officials said.
A mob of around a dozen youths misbehaved with some journalists and damaged window panes of a vehicle this morning near Pilukapura area, where Gujjars have blocked the rail tracks under the leadership of Kirori Singh Bainsla, police said.
Later, the group of journalists left the dharna site and are camping at Bayana, around 12 kms away from the sit-in site.
Expressing regret over the incident, Gujjar leader Roop Singh said some anti-social elements with malafide intentions were behind it.
"Our agitation is completely peaceful and we are not part of any violence. We will leave the dharna site if any violent activity is done again," Singh told PTI.
Singh said no road or highway was blocked since last night and further course of action will be decided after holding meetings of Gujjars in Bayana and Alwar today.
"I will be going to Alwar to hold meetings with our people while Bainsla will decide here on the future course of action," he said.
"What we are demanding is five per cent reservation from the state government and it is up to the government to decide on the ways and means. We do not want to comment on the court's judgement because our demands are from the government," Singh said.
"Sub categorisation within the OBC is an option and the government can also submit the data to support our demands within a short span of time since the data is already available with the government departments, but political will is needed to speed up the case," he said.
Security arrangements are in place across the Bharatpur range to keep the situation under control, police said.
According to an NWR official, routes of 18 trains were diverted while one train cancelled due to the Gujjar agitation.
The Rajasthan High Court yesterday stayed the operation of an Act granting five per cent reservation to Gujjars and directed the state government to undertake a data collection exercise to justify the quota for members of the community.
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