Railway traffic resumes in Kota division after Gurjar protesters vacate tracks following assurances

Official said that the agitators had kept the rail services halted for over three hours between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria stations, affecting about 10 to 12 trains on the route.

Kota, Rajasthan: Rail traffic between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria station in Kota division of Western Central Railway has resumed after Gurjar protesters vacated the railway tracks following receiving assurance from the government that their demands will be considered.

Some members of the community were holding a protest on rail tracks and stalled a passenger train in Bharatpur district on Sunday afternoon after taking part in a Mahapanchayat to press their various demands, including on reservation.

The agitators had kept the rail services halted for over three hours between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria stations, affecting about 10 to 12 trains on the route, the officials said.

The protesters had gathered on the railway tracks and stopped the 54794 Mathura-Sawaimadhopur passenger train at Fatehsinghpura near Bayana town, West Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) said earlier.

Sourabh Jain, senior divisional commercial manager, Kota (WCR), said that state police and railway officials held talks with the protesters, and after some time, they managed to get the track vacated by around 7 pm, following which operations on the track were fully restored.

No report of loss of life or injury has been received so far, and the railway is committed to the safety of the passengers, Jain added.

Asked about the protest, Vijay Bainsla, son of the late Kirodi Singh Bainsla, who had led several Gurjar agitations on the quota issue, said that the entire community and leaders are happy with the government's response to their main demands.

"To get the 5 per cent reservation to Most Backward Classes (MBC) included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, a proposal would be recommended by the state cabinet and it would urge the Centre (to ensure its passage). The entire community wanted this. It is a legislative issue. We all are happy," Bainsla told PTI, adding it was their key demand.

The Ninth Schedule contains a list of central and state laws that cannot be challenged in court.

Bainsla said another demand was that a nodal officer should be appointed in every district to dispose of the police cases against community members during the Gurjar agitation. "The government has agreed to it," he claimed.