Gujjars want talks at Bayana only, Raje says no

Agencies Posted: Jun 07, 2008 at 1727 hrs
Jaipur/Bayana, June 7: The Rajasthan Government rejected the Gujjar Arakshan Sangarsh Samiti's proposal for Bayana as the venue for talks on the issue of Scheduled Tribe status and asked it to send its delegation to Jaipur instead.

A letter to this effect was delivered to Samiti patron Kirori Singh at Piloopura village in Bharatpur district through its envoy, senior IAS officer S N Thanvi.

The Government asked when it would be convenient for Gujjar representatives or a delegation to come to Jaipur for talks on the issue of according ST/denotified tribe status to the community and sought a reply from Bainsla at the earliest, officials said.

They said the Vasunndhara Raje Government was prepared to begin the talks ‘without any delay’.

Gujjars stick to Bayana as talks venue

On the other side, the agitating Gujjars said they they will hold talks on the issue of ST status only at Bayana block in Bharatpur district and termed as ‘dubious’ the Rajasthan Government's invitation to Jaipur.

Gurjar Arakshan Sangarsh Samiti patron Kirori Singh Bainsla held a community 'mahapanchayat' here, soon after receiving a letter from the government rejecting their proposal of Bayana as the talks venue, and decided to stick to their guns.

"We will only talk in Bayana. We will not go to Jaipur," Bainsla told reporters after the 'mahapanchayat'.