Gujjars demand release of activists, stall talks

Efforts by Rajasthan government to end the 18-day-old Gujjar stir on Tuesday ran into rough weather with the community leadership making fresh demands of release of arrested women activists and withdrawal of murder charges against 20 protestors as pre-condition for further talks.

Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla, who had termed the first round of parleys on Monday as a “good beginning”, has made the two demands a pre-condition for the talks which were to be held in Jaipur, a senior state government official said.

He said that the written commitment given by 70-year-old Bainsla in Bayana on Monday about holding of the next round of talks has been retracted.

“However we are making all efforts from our side” to revive the dialogue process, the official said on phone from Gujjar stronghold of Bayana in this district.