Gujjars seek Cong role ahead of talks

Jan 01, 2011 |

Jaipur

In a flip-flop after agreeing to hold talks with the Rajasthan government on the quota issue, agitating Gujjars on Friday demanded the intervention of Congress leaders from the community before they proceeded for the third round of parleys aimed at ending their 12-day stir.

A 21-member Gujjar delegation was supposed to meet a committee of ministers comprising energy minister Jitendra Singh, home minister Shanti Dhariwal and transport minister B.K. Sharma here on Friday, but the protesters instead decided to seek the intervention of Gujjar leaders in ruling Congress ahead of the negotiations. “I said last night and today again that we are ready for the talks, but, before that, we want to know about the response of Congress leaders who are from our community, including Sachin Pilot, in resolving the issue,” Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsala said at Pilukapura, the epicentre of the agitation, in Bayana in Bharatpur district.
“After getting their response and feedback about their party’s intention regarding the issue, we would send our delegation to Jaipur,” he said.
“There is no fresh development as we are waiting for a formal invitation from the government and response from the Congress leaders of our community,” Roop Singh, Bainsla’s aide, said. G.S. Sandhu, a senior IAS official and government emissary at Bayana, said, “We have already given them (Gujjar leaders) invitation to meet the state ministers at Jaipur to discuss the issue. They also confirmed us this morning, but still there is no development and we are also waiting for their response.”
Besides five per cent reservation in state jobs, the community members are demanding release of Gujjar agitators from jails, withdrawal of cases against them and compensation to the families of those killed in previous agitations.
The Rajasthan high court had on December 22 stayed the operation of an act granting five per cent reservation to Gujjars and directed the state government to undertake a quantifiable data collection exercise within one year to justify the quota for members of the community.
The protesters had on Thursday sought an assurance from cm Ashok Gehlot that quantifiable data to justify quota in state jobs will be expeditiously submitted to the high court.
—PTI

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