Gujjar agitation witnesses fresh violence and arson in Raj

Jaipur, May 24 (UNI) The spectre of a bloodbath continued to stalk Rajasthan today as fresh incidents of violence and arson were reported from a number of places in the state when agitating Gujjars staged 'rasta roko, chakka jam and bandhs' to protest yesterday's police firing at their agitation in Bayana which had left at least 15 people dead.

The situation in Pillukapura region in Bayana, where Gujjar Reservation Action Committee had revived its agitation seeking ST status for the community, continued to be tense as the community members were sitting on a 'dharna' along with the bodies of nine deceased who were killed in yesterday's firing.

The committee called for a 'bandh' or 'Chakka jam' in several towns including Sikandara(Dausa), Chandalai (Tonk) Kishangarh (Ajmer), Kota and Jhalawar.

The Army and the Central Paramilitary forces, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been called out to assist the administration, a police spokesman said here.

Meanwhile, an irate mob of Gujjars disrupted traffic on the Bundi-Nainwan road near Dai town in Bundi district amid 'chakka jam' in Bundi town.'Bandh' was also organised in the industrial town of Bhiwadi in Alwar district In Karauli, a mob of Gujjars gathered outside a police station and burnt the properties in the premises. In separate incident an irate mob of protestors also set afire at least one bus and damaged another four in Neem Ka Thana town in Sikar district.

In Bandi Kui, the mob of Gujjars disrupted rail traffic on Delhi-Jaipur route by damaging the signal system and some other railway properties.

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