By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil Friday reviewed the situation arising out of the Gujjar stir demanding Schedule Tribe status at a high-level meeting here.
The meeting come in the wake of the Gujjar agitation taking a violent turn in Rajasthan and affecting areas in neighbouring Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region.
The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser M K Narayanan, Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and senior officials from the Law and Tribal Affairs Ministries.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recommending 4-6 per cent reservation for Gujjars in the category of denotified class of tribals/nomadic tribe.
The Gujjar reservation issue had figured during meetings of senior law ministry officials, who are expected to give an opinion on the matter raised by Raje in her letter to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had referred the issue of reservation sought for Gujjars by Raje to the Law Ministry on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, fuel rationing was imposed in Karwadi and Bayana by the district authorities in a bid to check the movement of Gujjar protesters as their agitation entered the eighth day here.
“The collector has ordered a stipulated amount of 10 litres of diesel and one litre of petrol to vehicles in all tehsil areas except district headquarters,” District Supply Officer A Punia told PTI over telephone from Bharatpur.
A vehicle can only get a full tank at Bharatpur, he said.
Supply of essential food items has not been hit in Bayana, but authorities said that the situation could worsen if the agitation continues.
The shopkeepers in Bayana rue their business has gone down since the agitation as it had hit the truck traffic in the district.
As the agitation entered its eight day, curious villagers from adjoining districts of Karauli and Bharatpur are reaching here to express solidarity with the protesters who are being led by 70-year-old Kirori Singh Bainsla, a retired army colonel.
“I read about the agitation in the newspapers. I felt that I should visit the area and also let my children see what all is happening here,” a woman who came from Surote in Bharatpur district said.