Gujjar stir: Bainsla ready to call off strike if demands met

Bayana (Rajasthan), May 26 : Gujjar leader Colonel (retired) Kirori Singh Bainsla has welcomed Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's recommendation of four to six per cent reservation for the community.

Bainsla, who has been camping with his supporters on the railway track near Dumariya village in Bharatpur district, appreciated the letter written by the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister and said "we must have a copy of the letter and we will call off the agitation."

After a meeting of her cabinet in Jaipur, Raje wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending 4 to 6 per cent reservation for Gujjars in the category of denotified class of tribals/nomadic tribe, Rajasthan Parliamentary Affairs Minister R S Rathore said.

Gujjars could also be considered as economically poorer than OBC, the letter said.

On the Gujjars' key demand for giving ST status, the state government sought to throw the ball into the Centre's court saying "this is a sensitive issue and the UPA Government should decide it whether to accord and shift Gujjars from OBC category to Scheduled Tribe (ST) and a policy be drawn on this matter," Rathore said quoting the state cabinet's decision.

ANI