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Ball is in your court, BJP tells Centre

NEW DELHI: Even as the Gujjar agitation continued for the fourth day in Rajasthan on Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party sought a “positive initiative” by the Centre for ending the stir, including steps to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the community.

Party leaders said the responsibility for declaring any community ST vested with the Centre and the State government had only recommendatory powers.

The Justice Chopra Committee, set up by the Rajasthan government after last year’s Gujjar agitation, already submitted its recommendations. As it was a matter governed by the Constitution, it required the Centre’s initiative.

The Congress on Monday held the BJP government “criminally culpable” for the latest round of violence in Rajasthan over Gujjars’ demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said there was a complete breakdown of law and order and the constitutional machinery in the State. The party stopped short of calling for the dismissal of the Vasundhara Raje government and said, “All we are demanding is that normality be restored.”

Armed with a list of 20 police firings during the four-and-half-years in Rajasthan, Mr. Tiwari said: “In no democracy does the Chief Minister tell people ‘don’t test the patience of my government’. She seems to forget that she is not the Maharani of Dholpur but the head of a democratically elected government.”

Asked whether the Congress was in favour of granting ST status to Gujjars, he said if the State Government made a demand for inclusion of a particular community in the list, that section should be added if it met the criteria.

Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) president Ram Vilas Paswan demanded imposition of President’s rule in Rajasthan alleging that the BJP government mishandled the Gujjar agitation.

Expressing concern over the “highly volatile” atmosphere in the State, Mr. Paswan, who is also Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers and Steel, said the Vasundhara Raje government was responsible for the current law and order situation.

Supporting the demand of the agitating Gujjars, Mr. Paswan said the problem could not be resolved by force or by deploying the Army and paramilitary forces. Ms. Raje’s “adamant attitude” and her “highhanded approach” in dealing with the situation led to the stalemate, he said.

Stating that his party would hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday in support of the Gujjar community, Mr. Paswan said the Rajasthan government should hold talks with Gujjar leaders to end the stalemate and announce adequate compensation for those killed in the police firing.

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