Gujjar stir: Mumbai-Delhi rail link stays disrupted, road traffic hit

Jaipur, Nov 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Rail traffic on the crucial Delhi-Mumbai route remained disrupted for the second day on Monday, and road traffic was also affected as Gujjars continued their stir in Rajasthan, demanding reservation in jobs and education.

The Gujjar community members started their stir from Sunday onwards occupying the railway track at Peelupura in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district.

As many as 29 trains on the Delhi-Mumbai route were diverted while three were cancelled, officials said.

About 220 buses from five major Rajasthan Roadways depots including Dausa, Hindaun, Karauli, Bharatpur and Bayana were suspended and the bus service on the Jaipur-Agra route also remained halted.

Gujjars also held demonstrations on NH8 (connecting Gujarat and Jaipur) and other places in the state, including in Ajmer and Kota.

Internet services were suspended in many Gujjar-dominated areas of several districts including Bharatpur, Karauli, Dausa, Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur district.

The government earlier had invoked the National Security Act and authorised the Collectors of eight districts to use its stringent powers to deal with the agitation.

While Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti convenor Kirori Singh Bainsla joined the protesters at the railway track, others blocked the Bayana-Hindaun road.

The Gujjar community remains divided in two factions this time, one being led by Bainsla while other is led by Himmat Singh. The latter faction had talks with the government in Jaipur on Saturday on 14 points and reached a consensus, but the Bainsla camp dismissed it and said that they want appointment letters of community members under the MBC quota.

Meanwhile, the Himmat Singh faction called a meeting near Bayana on Monday and called for an end to the agitation.

Source: IANS