May 25 2008
Bainsla turns down Raje’s offer for talks in Jaipur!
The Gujjar’s agitation demanding the status of scheduled tribe (ST) creating unrest in Rajasthan seems to continue as the Gujjar leader, Kirori Singh Bainsla refused the talks offered by the CM. He said that the talks will happen if the state government sends a representative to Bharatpur. On the other hand Vasundhara Raje takes the matter strictly and threatened the protesters to stop the violence saying the government won’t spare them.
On Saturday (May 24), the Rajasthan chief minister, Vasundhara Raje offered an invitation to Bainsla for parleys in Jaipur but the leader of the Gurjar Arakshan Sanyukt Sangarsh Samiti, Bainsla, initially refused to see her after the death of four people, who were injured in police firing.
Bainsla said, “He would not leave his supporters and go to Jaipur to hold talks with Raje.”
The Gujjars have been sitting along the tracks for the past three days, with 12 bodies of those who died in police firing.
In response to the continued stir by Gujjars, the army conducted flag marches and maintained a strict vigil in the four affected districts of Bharatpur, Dausa, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur.
Bainsla who has been camping in Kherwadi area in the Bayana block, in Karwadi demanded that parleys be held in Karwadi.
He said, “Who would be responsible if something happens to them (supporters) while I am gone? The talks, whatsoever, should happen here.”
The violence has left altogether 35 people dead till now. The death toll in the Dausa firing has now reached 19 while 16 people died in police firing in district of Bharatpur.
There are reports that parts of the track have been damaged. Bayana, where over 15 people died in police firing on Saturday, is under heavy security with 4000 security personnel stationed. The violence affected the university exams going in the state as all the exams are postponed till May28.
