Gujjar-Raje agreement will be lost in legal hurdles: Bidhuri

Gujjar leader Ramvir Singh Bidhuri today hit out at the recent agreement between Rajasthan government and Kirori Singh Bainsla over the reservation issue, stating that the assurance will "be lost in legal hurdles" with no benefits reaching the community.

Bidhuri, who leads another faction of the community, accused Bainsla of faltering on his stand over the demand of five per cent reservation for the community in government jobs.

"Bainsla should have been firm on his demand of five per cent reservation within the legal limit of 50 per cent by dividing OBC quota, but the government refused for the division saying this will have adverse impact on social harmony and offered to bring a fresh bill to provide 5 per cent reservation," Bidhuri said.

The leader stated that the community is going to get nothing out of this agreement, which is no different from the one singed between Bainsla and the state government in 2008.

"The recent demand of 5 per cent reservation will again exceed the limit of 50 per cent," he said. The leader questioned the state government's assurance that the demands will be recommended to the Centre and the legislation included in the ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

"The Central government so far is silent on the issue. How can we believe that the Central government would make efforts to include it in the ninth schedule?," Bidhuri asked.

"I will weigh Bainsla and Raje at the Ramlila ground in the presence of our community with gold if the agreement between them is executed during the present BJP government in Rajasthan," he said.

The Gujjar leader demanded that the state government should provide 5 per cent reservation to Gujjars (and 7 other castes) in Special Backward Class after including them in ninth schedule within six months from now.

He also warned of a fresh agitation at Delhi's Ramlila ground if the reservation was not implemented within six months. The Gujjars, led by Bainsla began their agitation last week, blocking Delhi-Mumbai railway tracks in Bharatpur and Agra-Jaipur national highway in Dausa and a state highway in Sawaimadhopur leading to the cancellation and diversion of many trains and disruption on road traffic.

Four districts of Bharatpur, Karauli, Sawaimadhopur and Dausa were affected due to the agitation. The agitators, however, put an end to their protest after a recent assurance by the state government that a recommendation regarding their demands will be made to the Centre to get the legislation listed in the ninth Schedule of the Constitution.