Rajnath thanks Gujjars, Rajasthan CM for accord

Bharatiya Janata Party chief Rajnath Singh was a relieved man on Monday. Finally, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje Scindia has been able to make the agitating Gujjar leaders including Col. Kirori Singh Bainsla see reason and accept the formation of a three-member commission headed by a retired judge of the Rajasthan high court to look into the demand of the agitators to declare Schedule Tribe status for Gujjars.

Rajnath thanked Col. Bainsla and his men and Vasundhara Raje for fixing a solution to the problem that had set Rajasthan on fire for the last seven days, making the state incur huge losses in terms of deaths and damage to public properties.

Speaking to the media, the BJP president said that over the last few days the agitation over the issue of reservation by the Gujjar community in Rajasthan and some other neighbouring states had finally reached a satisfactory and harmonious conclusion on Monday evening.

Rajnath in particular thanked the leaders of the Gujjar and Meena communities for playing a constructive role in their talks with the Rajasthan government.

Rajnath added that he was confident that in addition to the Gujjar and Meena communities, all other communities would also play a positive and constructive role in maintaining social harmony and cohesion. He expressed his heartfelt condolences for those who were killed in the agitation.

The party had sent Gopinath Munde, Anant Kumar and Prakash Javadekar to assist and guide Vasundhara Raje in negotiations with the Gujjar leaders.

"The meeting began with breakfast served to the delegation by Raje's daughter-in-law, who is a Gujjar, before Col Bainsla was led to the negotiating table.

The meeting was held in two sessions and by 5 pm, the deal was clinched. At 6 pm, the details were released at a joint press conference addressed by Raje and Col. Bainsla.

The BJP will deliberate upon the developments in Rajasthan in the meeting of party general secretaries on Tuesday.

The meeting is being called on a day when the Goa Assembly elections results will be announced.