Jaipur: Demanding Scheduled Tribe status, the Gujjars on Sunday began their Mahapanchayat (grand sit-in) at Rajasthan's Karuali district amid tight security cover.
About 4,000 community members led by Kirori Singh Bainsla gathered at the Penchla-mod ground, about 10 km from Hindon city, ADG (law and order) Navdeep Singh said.
There was no report of any untoward incident so far, he said, adding that prohibitory orders under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) are in force since Saturday in Karuali and adjoining districts of Sawaimadhopur, Dausa, Dholpur, Bharatpur and parts of Jaipur rural.
Personnel of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary, Rapid Action Force, riot control, STF are keeping strict vigil to avert any untoward incident, he said.
Bainsla is angry that despite the former Raje government passing a bill in the state assembly to give five per cent quotas to Gujjars, the Gehlot government has done nothing to push the Governor to pass the bill.
"Our demand is absolutely genuine. If we are not given justice now, we will have to revive our agitation. We may then be compelled to take many steps that we are not really keen to initiate," said Colonel Bainsla.
After Bainsla announced the Gujjar Mahapanchayat, the Gehlot government invited him for talks. But just before he was to meet Ashok Gehlot, on Friday Col Bainsla suddenly left Jaipur. (With NDTV inputs)