Shots fired police vehicles torched Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan turns violent

Jaipur | Sunday | 10th February, 2019

Summary:

Government-Gujjar talks fail; trains, recruitment exams cancelled Rail traffic on the Delhi-Mumbai route continued to be affected on the second day of the Gujjar agitation for quota after the community continued their 'dharna' on tracks at Maksudanpura and rejected state government's proposal for talks. JAIPUR: The Gujjar community agitation demanding five per cent quota in jobs and educational institutes turned violent in Dholpur district on Sunday as shots were fired and three police vehicles torched.Unidentified miscreants fired 8-10 rounds in the air while the blockade on the Agra-Morena Highway was in place, Dholpur superintendent of police (SP) Ajay Singh told mediapersons.The agitators set afire three police vehicles, including two jeeps and a bus, he added.The SP said the protesters also pelted stones, injuring four jawans, adding that police had to lob tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.He said traffic movement on the highway resumed later.Gujjars are holding a sit-in protest on rail tracks in Malarna Dungar of Swai Madhopur district since Friday evening. The agitation spread as Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla refused to call off the stir.On Saturday, a government delegation had met Bainsla and his supporters to hold talks, but no agreement could be reached.Bainsla has said that the community will continue their protest demanding five per cent reservation to the Gujjars, Raika-Rebari, Gadia Luhar, Banjara and the Gadaria communities in government jobs and educational institutions as promised by the state government.Seven trains were cancelled and two partially cancelled whereas nine trains were diverted on Sunday due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district, officials said.According to a North Western Railway (NWR) spokesperson, the cancelled trains include Hazrat Nizamuddin-Udaipur and Udaipur-Hazrat Nizamuddin while Bayana-Jaipur and Jaipur-Bayana were partially cancelled between Bayana and Swai Madhopur.The agitation has affected the train movement in NWR and West Central Railway (WCR) zones of the Indian Railways causing inconvenience to common people.In the WCR region, nearly 200 trains were cancelled, partially cancelled or diverted on Friday and Saturday..