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Gujjar stalemate continues; invitation for talks renewed

JAIPUR: The impasse over disposal of the bodies of Gujjars killed in police firing in Rajasthan continued on Saturday with the government and the Gujjar Arakshan Sangarsh Samiti (Gujjar reservation action committee), leading the agitation demanding Scheduled Tribe status for Gujjars, unable to begin talks.

The agitators kept in the open the bodies of two more persons killed in police firing at Kushalipura in Sawai Madhopur on Friday. With this 20 bodies of firing victims are lying in the open, while 14 are in hospital mortuaries in Jaipur and Bharatpur.

Peace prevailed in almost all the affected areas, including Bharatpur district’s Pilupura where the Gujjar supremo Kirori Singh Bainsla is sitting on a vigil with 12 bodies. However tension prevailed in Sawai Madhopur where two columns of the Army staged a flag march during the day.

Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said efforts were on for beginning talks, while Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje renewed her invitation to the Gujjars to come to the negotiating table.

In response to a demand from Col. Bainlsa to have a medical team constituted by the Centre, the State authorities wrote to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to send one. However AIIMS authorities turned down the request pointing out that Rajasthan was outside its jurisdiction.

A meeting of the State Cabinet, presided over by the Chief Minister on Saturday, cleared the recommendation to the Centre by Ms. Raje a few days back to provide 4-6 per cent reservation to the Gujjars under the category of de-notified tribes. However the Gujjars are not keen on this proposal.

Nothing much was heard about the offer of mediation from Vishvendra Singh, scion of the Bharatpur royal family, whose wife Diya Singh is a Gujjar.

In the meanwhile two disciples of spiritual leader Shri Shri Ravishankar were given permission by the authorities to meet Col. Bainsla in Bayana. Shri Ravishankar also has offered to mediate. and the agitating Gujjars.

Amid the blame game over the handling of the agitation, the government late on Friday asked Director General of Police A.S. Gill to proceed on leave for two months. K.S. Bains, who took over two days back as the Director General of CID (Crime Branch) has been appointed the new DGP.

Mr. Gill has been singled out for action when the Home Ministry, including Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria and Principal Secretary Home V.S. Singh are under attack, first over the serial blasts and then for not tackling the agitation.

The supporters of Mr. Kataria, however, refuse to blame him as the Home Minister enjoyed only “limited powers.”

Mr. Kataria reacting to the action on Mr. Gill said, “It is between the DGP and the Chief Minister. I work under the Chief Minister.” He said he was aware of the development but had no role. “I was informed about the action.”

“The action against Mr. Gill is unfortunate. It will lower the morale of the police force. In fact it should have been the Chief Minister and the Home Minister who should have quit over the police firing on the Gujjars,” the former Minister and Congress leader, Bina Kak said.

“I did what I thought was correct. There is satisfaction holding on to one’s principles and doing one’s job,” Mr. Gill, known for his honesty and uprightness, told The Hindu. He refused to comment on the Government order.

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