BJP seeks cooperation for restoring social amity in Rajasthan

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) Expressing concern on the tense atmosphere in Rajasthan, surrounding the demand for inclusion of Gujjar community in the Scheduled Tribes list, the BJP today said the immediate priority was for restoration of social amity at the earliest.

BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was the duty and responsibility of all political parties and individuals to help tackle the sensitive situation. The Rajasthan Government, he said, had initiated the process to include Gujjar community in the ST list by setting up a Group of Ministers for making an anthropological profile of this community in each district. But violence at this point of time, when serious attempts were made to secure ST status to the community, was unwarranted.

Explaining the process for inclusion of a community into the ST list, sources said the state will have to obtain the reports of Disrict Magistrates in the prescribed format giving their social and economic status.

So far, the government had obtained reports from 26 districts and only six more were needed before the state could send its report to the Centre which alone had the powers to amend the Constitution.

''We can only say that the Gujjar community has a good case to be included in the ST list,'' sources said. One should also look into the resistance from those already in the list, it added.

UNI