State government invites Bainsla for further discussions

Jaipur, June 14 : Rajasthan Government on Saturday invited Gujjar leader Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla to Jaipur for further discussions on the Gujjar community's demands for specials status.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Gujjar leader Bainsla have not attended talks so far.

Ramdash Aggarwal, Spokesperson, High Level Committee, Government of Rajasthan said that the meeting was in positive consent for the both the parties.

"Our talks have been very satisfactory. And we have invited Bainsla through this delegation. We have requested this delegation to go there and present our invitation to him," Aggarwal said in news conference after the meeting.

Aggarwal added that meeting with Bainsla will be held on Sunday if Bainsla agrees to come.

Masood Singh Choudhry, who was spearheading the Gujjars, hopes that talks would conclude on a positive note.

"Our demands are demands of the country. And these demands cannot be left unfulfilled. No government can refuse our demands after seeing the state of Gujjars in the country," said Choudhry.

The community and the government had held first round of talks on June 9 in Bayana, the main center of agitation.

Members of the community are demanding that their place in the caste system be downgraded and granted tribal status so they can qualify for government jobs and university places reserved for such groups.

A year ago, Gujjars fought police and members of another caste that qualifies for job quotas. At least 25 people died in the clashes.

After these protests, a state government committee decided that the Gujjars should not be downgraded, but said the government would spend 2.8 billion rupees improving schools, clinics and roads in Gujjar areas.

Gujjar leaders rejected this. For the last two weeks, Gujjars have been blocking roads and railway tracks and torched government vehicles.

ANI