Gujjar agitation: Army deployed in Rajasthan town

The army was deployed on Saturday morning in violence-hit Bayana town in the district and nearby villages where clashes between Gujjars demanding Schedule Tribe status and the police left 15 people dead.

Four columns of army (about 800 troops) were deployed in Bayana town and nearby villages of Philpura, Dhumaria, Karvaria where the situation continued be tense, Bharatpur District Collector T Ravi Kant said.

As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders have been promulgated in Dholpur, Sawaimadhopur, Karauli, Bharatpur and Jaipur districts, official sources said in the state capital.

Fifteen people, including a policeman, were killed on Friday in police firing and clashes between members of Gujjar community demanding Scheduled Tribe status for them and the men in uniform at Bayana.

The police opened fire when the protestors torched two police jeeps and attacked and clashed with them in Karwar area in Bayana block of the district while a policeman was lynched by the mob.

The clashes broke out as protesters gathered at Dumariya in support of a 'rail roko' call given by Rajasthan Gurjar Arakashan Sangarsh Samiti leader Bainsla to press for granting them Scheduled Tribe status to Gujjars.

Besides army, about 200 additional Rapid Action Force and 300 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were called out for deployment in the violence-hit area to assist the local administration in maintaining law and order.

Rajasthan government has ordered a judicial probe into the police firing.