Rajasthan’s violent clashes over ST reservation for the Gujjar community spilled over into the national capital region on Monday.
The bandh, called by the Gujjar community in support of the demand for inclusion of Gujjars in the Schedule Tribe list, turned violent at many places, blocking flow of traffic into Delhi from Gurgaon and Noida.
Trouble began in the morning almost simultaneously on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road and in Badarpur where a sizeable Gujjar population exists.
On the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road Gujjars from adjoining villages began gathering at around 9 in the morning, refusing to allow any movement of traffic.
The protests soon turned violent as Gujjar mobs attacked and burnt two DTC buses and pelted stones at the police.
In retaliation, the police opened fire in the air and teargassed protesters. Four policemen were injured in clashes and about 20 Gujjar protesters arrested.
Traffic was badly affected till late in the afternoon.
Attack on DTC buses
It was a similar story in Badarpur - another Gujjar dominated area where protests began at around the same time in the morning.
Hundreds of Gujjars burnt an effigy of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
Some of the protesters attacked DTC buses, pelting stones at them, forcing police to open fire in the air.
Almost 5,000 shops and establishments remained closed through the day in Badarpur as people preferred to remain indoors, fearing violence.
Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf, reacting to the attacks on the DTC buses, has warned of pulling them off the roads if these protests continued.
‘’We will not run the busses if this continues,'’ said Harun Yusuf, Transport Minister.
Gujjar protesters also blocked traffic on the Ghaziabad-Noida road in the morning.
By about 4 in the evening, however, traffic on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon and Noida Ghaziabad roads was flowing smoothly and the situation in Badarpur had been brought under control.
But now, with a breakthrough having been achieved in talks between Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Gujjar leaders in Jaipur, there will be no further protests by Gujjars in the NCR.
Posted By Staff Reporter: Gurgaon City News
in Gurgaon News
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