Gurjar body gives Raj govt time till Jan 15 on quota issue

In a meeting with three-member ministerial panel of state government, a delegation of the Akhil Bhartiya Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti today gave time till January 15, sought by latter to clear its stand on reservation issue to special backward communities (SBCs).

In this regard, a meeting was convened today, where Gujjar leaders and three-member ministerial panel of state government discussed the matter.

Earlier, Rajasthan government assured the communities under the special backward classes that it would go for appropriate solution within the framework of law to protect their interest, after Gujjars threatened to launch a fresh agitation for quota.

The Rajasthan High Court had on December 9 struck down Special Backward Classes quota given to Gujjars and five other communities by the state government as the total reservation exceeded the permissible limit of 50 per cent.
 

We have demanded to maintain status quo on reservation given to SBCs, on job appointment of 4,000 SBC category candidates and legalise 5 per cent reservation to SBCs including Gujjars, Samiti spokesperson Roop Singh told PTI.

He further said that state government had sought time till January 15 on the matter, which we have agreed upon.

Answering a question on Hardik Patel lending support to Gujjars in their fight for reservation, Singh said that we are not convinced with the agenda of Patel or any other political party.

Rubbishing Patel's proposed meeting with the Gujjar leaders today in state capital, Singh said that there was no such meeting scheduled.

Patel had met Samiti president Kirori Singh Bainsla on December 10 in Hindaun city but it was only a general meeting, Singh added.

Later, the Gujjar leaders also met Chief minister Vasundhara Raje and she also assured that government would go for appropriate solution within the framework of law to protect the interest of the communities.

I urge people to maintain calm and have perseverance. We are committed to find a possible solution, said the chief minister in a statement.

The state has witnessed violent agitation by Gujjars several times since 2007, when the community members blocked national highways and railway tracks and were fired upon by the police.