New Delhi: An 11-day long agitation by a Rajasthan community group came to an end on Thursday after leaders of the protesting side reached a consensus with the state government.
The supporters of the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti– an organisation demanding reservation for the Gurjar community — had blocked rail and road routes since November 1, inconveniencing thousands of passengers.
On Wednesday Gurjar convenor Colonel (Retd) Kirori Singh Bainsla-led delegation met Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and put forward the demands. The Gurjar body also seeks the inclusion of the community reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, filling of the backlog of vacancies and demanded to receive the benefit of five per cent quota to the Most Backward Classes (MBCs) in the pending recruitment process.
The protestors vacated the railway tracks early Thursday morning and returned home after the agreement was read out to them by their leaders, police said.
Mobile internet services, which were suspended in parts of the state due to the agitation, were restored, police added.
However, the delegation had said on Wednesday night that they would take a decision on calling off the agitation at the protest site in Bharatpur’s Bayana.
“A consensus has been reached over the demands with the state government. We have trust that the government will work on the agreement. However, we will make a decision on the calling off of the agitation at the protest site,” Gurjar leader Vijay Bainsla had said after the meeting.
Gurjars had blocked the Hindaun-Bayana road and the Delhi-Mumbai rail route.
On October 31, a delegation of the Gurjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti held discussions with a Cabinet sub-committee in Jaipur, in which a consensus had emerged on 14 points but it was not accepted by Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla and his supporters.
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(with inputs from agencies)
