CM should come and hold talks with us: Gujjars

Toughening his stand against the Rajasthan government, Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla on Monday demanded that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje come to the agitation site and hold talks with the community members on the demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

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There is no question of 'relenting' this time, Bainsla said, adding "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 told PTI.

He strongly disapproved of representatives of the government holding talks with the Gujjar community.

Accusing Raje of lacking 'courage of conviction', Bainsla said "it is the responsibility of the head of an elected government to come and listen to the grievances of the people."

Contesting Raje's claim that she tried to contact him on Sunday from Bayana, the Gujjar leader said "no efforts were made from the CM's side to contact me".

Raje flew to Bayana on Sunday and stayed put for about 40 minutes to try and hold talks with Bainsla who was in Karwadi, about 15 km from Bayana, officials said.

Bainsla had on Sunday claimed that the chief minister had come to Bayana not to hold talks with him but to survey the situation there in the wake of the Gujjars' agitation.

On reports of some anti-national elements present in the agitation site on Saturday, Bainsla said, "I have no vested interests. I have not used any of them."