Demanding a 12 percent quota in jobs, thousands of people of three castes; Mali, Kushwaha-Shakya, and Maurya have begun an indefinite agitation putting a jam on the National Highway Number-21 connecting Agra-Bikaner at Aroda village in Bharatpur district since Sunday evening.
About 1500 people of these castes sitting on the NH-21 with sticks and banners in their hands, and shouting pro-reservation slogans during the day, a district official told SNS when contacted.
The highway route was diverted through side lanes, and over 500 police forces including jawans of RAC, STF, and Bharatpur ange police lines were deployed to maintain law and order to pre-empt any clash or unruly scene. Meanwhile, one rifle was seized from one Prakash and a case under the arms act was registered against him under Lakhanpur Thana, its SHO Rajesh Kasana said.
Meanwhile, the district administration suspended the internet connectivity since morning for an indefinite period of time in Nadbai, Vair Bhusawar, and Uchhain tehsils, the official said.
Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Vishvendra Singh and the Divisional Commissioner Sanwarmal Verma have been authorised by the state government to hold talks with the representatives of the Sangarsh Samiti to clear the traffic jam on the NH-21. So far the protesting leaders and the Minister are holding talks in their cellphone. The district administration has urged them to give up the agitation, clear the jam and come for talks then, the official said.
The quota agitation is led by its prominent leaders Murarilla Saini and Laxman Singh Kushwaha under the banner of Phule Arakshan Sangarh Samiti. “The people of the society are demanding reservation under the Constitution. The provision has been given in Article 16(4) of the Constitution. Those cases which are very backward can be given reservation at their level by the state government. It has nothing to do with the center. There is neither an IAS officer nor RAS in the society today”, Laxman Singh told the media.