Gujjars’ stir on; Gehlot govt ready for talks

“Talks can take place acros the table and not at rail tracks. They should come to the state capital if they want to hold talks,” Home Minister Shanti Dhariwal told reporters at his residence here.

Rail and road traffic remained affected in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district as the stir by Gujjars entered the second day today.

Authorities diverted and cancelled a few trains and stopped plying of state roadways buses on Hindaun-Bayana and Hindaun-Bharatpur routes,officials said.

The agitators continued to squat on rail tracks near Pilukapur where security forces had been deployed in strength,they said.

The Delhi-Mumbai rail route was hit hard by the stir which began yesterday when Gujjars occupied the tracks in support of their demands.

Dhariwal said “the government,in principle,is ready to give them remaining four per cent reservation but the matter is sub-judice and they must understand the fact.”

Threatening to intensify their stir,Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla said “we are not ready to give up till our demands are met.”

Former MP Vishwendra Singh,said to be an emissary of the state government,met the agitating leaders in an effort to broker peace.

“Yes,Vishwendra visited us but it was like a courtesy call,” Bainsla,spearheading the stir,said.

Several rounds of talks between agitating Gujjars and government officials took place throughout the entire day as everyone waited for tomorrow when the reservation issue would come up for hearing in the High Court.

Ramvir Singh Bidhudi,leader of another faction of Gujjars,said he met members of the community in Bharatpur,Bayana and other places and asked them to wait till tomorrow.

“Negotiations with Gujjars is going on at different levels. The stir has been peaceful so far,” District Collector Krishna Kunal said.

Gujjars are demanding five per cent reservation in government jobs and stay on recruitment in state services till the quota row was settled.