‘Sole leader making solution difficult’

The standoff between the Rajasthan government and agitating Gujjars has eluded an early solution because of the absence of a second line of leadership to Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsala.

“There is nobody other than Bainsala with whom you can talk. If he is not allowed by an agitating mob to reach out to the Chief Minister who even went to Bayana, nothing can be done,” said a senior BJP functionary on why it has taken such a long time to effect a truce.

With 40 dead in violence, the functionary recalled Sunday’s developments that saw CM Vasundhara Raje travelling all the way to Bayana and yet failing to meet Bainsala — despite a previous word to her aide that he would meet her. Once she reached the spot, the Gujjar leader conveyed to her aide that he was not being allowed to leave the railway track near Dumariya village in Bharatpur district, where he has been camping for the last four days. It would be better if she came to him with the copy of the letter to the Centre, recommending the ST status.

A truce seemed a possibility on Monday after Raje recommended four to six per cent reservation for the community in the category of denotified class of tribals/nomadic tribe.

“With a largely non-political gathering around him, he is as much a prisoner of his group as he is its leader,” said the BJP functionary.