The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday said Gujjars cannot be given reservation in government jobs as a 2008 Act granting special quota to them and three other communities of Rajasthan does not justify the need to do so.
The court ordered the Rajasthan government to conduct a survey within a year to establish the level of the backwardness of the four communities.
The order has come as a setback to the Gujjars who are on the warpath demanding implementation of special quota in government jobs.
Kirori Singh Bainsla ? who is leading the stir ? said though they respected the order, the agitation would continue as their fight was with the government and not the court.
The HC had last year stayed the Act granting 5% reservation to Gujjars, Rebaris, Gadia Luhars and Banjaras since it was above the 50% quota limit fixed by the Supreme Court.
Appearing for the State of Rajasthan, advocate PP Rao said, ?The court has neither quashed the Act nor approved it. The HC maintained that the 50% reservation could not be exceeded and directed the government to conduct an exercise within one year to establish the backwardness of the four communities.?
To avoid a flare up, the government, which had adopted a hands-off approach till Wednesday, intensified security in Bharatpur and surrounding areas with central and state police forces even as members of the Gujjars community began blocking parts of the Jaipur-Agra highway.
?We accept the judgement with respect to the 2008 Act, but our fight is with the Rajasthan government. It is their responsibility to ensure quota for us,? Bainsla said.
CM Ashok Gehlot said the government would initiate a plan of action after going through the judgement.
?A course of action to resolve the issue will begin after we go through the judgment. I have appealed to Gujjar leaders to end the agitation and begin talks with the government to settle the issue peacefully,? Gehlot said.
Gujjar leaders maintained talks with the government were unnecessary. ?After the judgement, it seems the state has not put forward the correct facts to the HC. We only want the government to give us what they had promised. It is up to them to find a way,? said Roop Singh.
