Dausa tense, 2 police stations set abla

The demonstrations for demanding Scheduled Tribe status for the Gujjar community witnessed violence for the second day on Wednesday as protestors set ablaze two police stations in Dausa district of Rajasthan and continued to block the Jaipur-Agra National Highway in Pipalkera.

Situation remained tense in Dausa, about 110 km from Jaipur, with the Army keeping a tight vigil, State Home Minister G C Kataria told PTI.

However, reports from Bundi district said normalcy had been restored and the blockade lifted on the Jaipur-Kota National Highway.

Sources said Gujjar community members set on fire two police stations in Dubi and Sikandra in Dausa district on Wednesday morning. The extent of damage is not immediately known.

Angry protestors, demanding shifting of their community from OBC category to Scheduled Tribe list, also blocked the Jaipur-Agra Highway from Pipalkhera to Pachroli (Karuli district), which severely affected the traffic flow.

Thirteen people were killed and two cops went missing during clashes between the agitating Gujjar community and police and firing at Bundi and Jaipur-Agra highway on Tuesday. 

All along the Jaipur-Agra National Highway, hundreds of Gujjar youth blocked the traffic and pelted stones at private vehicles. However, media vehicles were spared.

In some areas, the roads were dug up. Six bodies wrapped in white cloths and kept in ice were in possession of the protestors in Pipalkera while another body was lying unattended.

Kirori Singh Baisela, leader of Gujjar Action Committee, said the bodies would be cremated only after the government agreed to their demand.

Baisela demanded that Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje should either visit the place or send her representative to diffuse the tension in the district.

"No harm will be done to anyone who comes for talks with good intentions. They will be provided all security for his or her safety," Baisela told PTI. He also demanded that the government should immediately announce a reasonable amount of ex-gratia to the families of those killed in the police firing and jobs for one their family members.

"The community will support the government all out if it honestly recommended the Centre for constitutional amendment for giving ST status to the Gujjars," he added.

The protests will be indefinite unless their demand was fulfilled, he warned.