Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Gurjar protest has entered Day 5 on Tuesday, and there seems to be no thaw from either side.
Even as Gurjar leader Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla offered an olive branch to the Raje government in Rajasthan, saying that he was ready to talk to the Chief Minister provided she come to the site of the agitation, the state authorities shot down the suggestion.
Government sources have told CNN-IBN that taking the Chief Minister to Bayana — the epicentre of the Gurjar agitation — was not possible. They said that the presence of "anti-social elements and dacoits" put her life at grave risk.
Toughening their stand the Rajasthan government has slapped fresh cases against Bainsla including murder and damaging public property. The state government has also filed a contempt petition in the Rajasthan High Court against them which comes up for hearing on Tuesday.
The SP of Bharatpur told CNN-IBN, "The situation is tense and we are keeping a close watch on it. We have proof of that the Gurjars have with them, identified criminals."
He also said that the Army was on standby to support the police and the state authorities if needed.
Colonel Bainsla — who with his community is agitating for an ST status — on his part rejected the letter that Raje wrote to the Prime Minister, asking the PM to provide quota for the Gurjars.
He said that "if there is nothing new in the letter, then it is a farce". He also stated that the agitation will continue.
Gurjar protesters have called for bandhs in Banswara, Sangod, Khatauli, Rawatbhata, Beawar, Parbatsar and Deedwana. In the Chabra area, a roadblock has been set up and the Gurjars have threatened to cut off milk supplies in parts of Hadauti region.
Rail and road traffic has been severely hit and nearly 3,000 railway bookings have been cancelled. The Tourism Ministry says a lot of tourists have cancelled their trip to the Rajasthan due to the agitation and the recent bomb blasts in the capital city of Jaipur.
Meanwhile, a team of doctors will reach Bayana on Tuesday to conduct post mortems on the people who were killed during the agitation.
Day 4: Protests And An Olive Branch
Gurjars stepped up their protest, blockading the national highway (NH8) that connects the national Capital Delhi to Jaipur and removed railway tracks in Bayana, the epicentre of the unrest.
Northern Railways has cancelled nine trains, mostly originating from Delhi, passing through Rajasthan and diverted several others to different routes.
The state government retaliated by jamming communication networks, including mobile phones in the area and moved in more security forces. The Rajasthan government has also taken news channels off air.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and senior leader Amar Singh were detained on the outskirts of Bayana.
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They were on their way to Bharatpur to participate in the agitation when they were stopped by the police on the Jaipur-Agra highway.
On Monday, toughening his stand, Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla demanded that the Chief Minister come to the agitation site and hold talks with the community members.
“There is no question of relenting this time. If we do, then history will call us cowards. Only Chief Minister Raje should come and talk to the community members present here. After all, we are her own people," Bainsala was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
Meanwhile, Rajasthan Home Secretary, VS Singh, told CNN-IBN, that a Cabinet meeting on the Gurjar agitation was being held. "We have sent an open invitation to them for talks," he added.
He also stated that there was no need for commando action. "A2, which maintains law and order under the civil administration is managing the situation," Singh said.
Amid all this confusion, Union Home minister for State, Sripraksh Jaiswal has threatened to bring article 356 in force in Rajastan.
Day 3: State Toughens Stand
The standoff between Rajasthan government and Gurjars escalated on Sunday with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje warning of tough action against violent agitators.
Raje, who made an aerial survey of the site on Sunday, warned of strong measures. The Gurjars, led by Kirori Singh Bainsala, had earlier rejected her offer for talks in Jaipur.
Toughening her stand, Raje had told mediapersons that if goonda elements took law into their hand, then "none will be worse than us".
"There is a limit to everything and the government will not allow Gurjars to take the state to ransom. If they challenge law and order, break rules or put the state in trouble, then even we will answer them accordingly," she said.
"With joined hands, I am appealing to all the people to maintain law, order and peace, so that we can solve all problems in future," she added.
Meanwhile, sporadic incidents of violence and rail and road blockade continue to affect life in many parts of Rajasthan.
National highways, including one leading to the tourist hotspot of Udaipur, have been blocked due to protests.
An engine and six wagons of a goods train derailed in Dausa district along the Bandikui-Agra section after the track was removed by Gurjar agitators.
Trains on the Delhi-Mumbai route have either been cancelled or diverted as thousands of of Gurjars are sitting on the track at Peelupura in Bayana, the epicentre of the protest.
The death toll in the violence has reached 37.
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