The Hindu : Front Page : Gujjar issue: Minister quits Vasundhara Raje Cabinet

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Monday, Dec 17, 2007
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Gujjar issue: Minister quits Vasundhara Raje Cabinet

Jaipur: Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Kirorilal Meena resigned from the Cabinet on Sunday to protest the government’s stand on according Scheduled Tribe status to Gujjars, on which the Justice Chopra committee will be submitting a report on Monday.

His wife Golma Devi, along with her nephew and an MLA Kantilal Meena, drove to Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s residence to deliver the resignation letter as the Minister had taken ill and could not go himself.

“I do not know much. He [Kirorilal Meena] is unwell. It is under the Meena community’s pressure and for their welfare that I handed over the letter to the Chief Minister,” Golma Devi told reporters.

She said she did not know why the BJP Minister who represents Sawaimadhopur constituency resigned suddenly.

BJP State president Mahesh Sharma told reporters: “It is a long letter written to the Chief Minister and a copy has been submitted to me. It is not a resignation letter but I will not divulge the contents.”

Mr. Sharma said the Minister was also a BJP leader and it would be discussed with him at the party level after which a decision would be taken.

The BJP leader dismissed speculation about the issue escalating, saying “this is not a situation of any clash between the Gujjar and Meena communities or the MLAs and Ministers in the Raje government.”

MLAs resign

On Saturday night, two Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs, Suresh Meena and Murari Meena, and a Congress MLA Ramnarayan Meena tendered their resignations to the community leaders on the same issue.

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