Bainsla warns to revive Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan

Accusing the government of not keeping its promise, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla today threatened to revive the agitation in support of the community's demand for reservation, from December 20 in Rajasthan.

Bainsla, who spearheaded the Gujjar agitation demanding 5% quota to Gujjars, today called a meeting in Karauli today and planned to revive agitation.

"The state government has cheated us. We were assured that a best lawyer will be hired for expeditious hearing of the case pending with the high court to accord us 5% reservation, but nothing progressive was done by the government," Harprasad Gujjar, a close aide of Bainsla, told PTI over phone from Karauli.

He said, "We were promised 1% reservation under the 50% limit, and speedy hearing of the case. Now the government has announced one lakh jobs in the upcoming year but Gujjars will avail nothing if they are not accorded full 5% reservation hence we are demanding to ban the recruitment."

Harprasad said that the agitation would begin from December 20 from Raseli village in Bharatpur if government failed to fulfil their demands.

"The agitation will be peaceful but we will block roads and stop trains from December 20 if our demands are not met," he said.

Gujjars are demanding 5% reservation under SBC which included Bajara, Raika, Rebari and Gadia Luhar community and also a stay on recruitment in state services till the reservation issue resolves.

The high court-appointed IS Israni committee to look into the reservation demand of Gujjars in Rajasthan has also recommended the government to grant quota and special backward class status to the community.

The high court had last year, however, struck down the 5% reservation for the community (as recommended by the Jasraj Chopra Committee) observing that the measure would exceed the 50% reservation cap.