The BJP in Delhi appeared to reflect the tough stand taken by chief minister Vasundhara Raje on the issue.
The party has claimed that the Gujjar demand was in the hands of the centre and that armed miscreants had now taken over the movement. "The chief minister had travelled to a place four kilometres out of Bayana and asked Gujjar leader Kishori Lal Bainsla to meet the chief minister, however, after he assured her that he would meet her, he backtracked in his word," said a senior BJP leader. "The Rajasthan government has already forwarded the recommendations of the Chopra committee report set up the last time the agitation flared up to the Centre. The recommendations suggest that the Centre revisit the criteria enshrined by the Lokur committee of 1961-62 to define scheduled tribes," said the office bearer. "The state government had also announced a package of Rs 238 crores for the community," he added.
The party and indeed the government's tough stand on the Gujjar agitation is in stark contrast to the way it reacted last time round. At that time the chief minister held exhaustive deliberations, and set up a committee headed by retired Justice Chopra, and also stressed that she was related to the Gujjar's through his daughter in law Niharika.
The changed stance is being put down to the fact that the BJP has now more or less given up on the Gujjar vote. "We see the Gujjar agitation leading to an alienation of the community from the rest of society," said a senior leader. The party is hoping that a tough stand on the community's demands will lead to a counter consolidation of the dominant communities of Meenas and Jats towards the BJP.
Bainsla in his turn has denied that the chief minister made any attempt to meet him, however. "No efforts were made from the CM's side to contact me," Bainsla said. Accusing Raje of lacking "courage of conviction", Bainsla said "it is the responsibility of the head of an elected government to come and listen to the grievances of the people."
At least 18 trains have been cancelled between Jaipur and Alwar since Friday.