Rajasthan govt snaps internet & mobile services in 5 districts ahead of Gurjar agitation

Ahead of the next Gurjar reservation agitation on November 1, the Rajasthan government on Friday, has suspended mobile and internet services for 24 hours from 6 PM in several districts. District administration in  Kotputli, Pawta, Shahpura, Viratnagar and Jamwa Ramgarh have suspended 2G/3G/4G data services, bulk SMS/MMS & social media through internet (except voice calls & broadband internet) for 24 hours. Section 144 has been imposed in Dholpur. Previously, the Gurjar community held a Mahapanchayat' in Bharatpur headed by Colonel amid heavy police deployment and internet services snapped across the district. The community issued an ultimatum till November 1 to meet its demands.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's tally rises to 80,88,851; active cases drop below 6 lakh

Internet suspended in several Rajasthan districts

Gurjar Mahapanchayat gives Gehlot govt 13 days to meet demands; Cong MLA's son slams govt

Protest suspended till Nov 1

On October 17, a massive 'Mahapanchayat' headed by Colonel demanded a 5% reservation for the community in the state's quota in Bharatpur. The district MLA Vishvendra Singh - a Sachin Pilot camp leader - said  that the 'state government was over-promising and not delivering'. Prior to the protests,  the district administration suspended 2G/3G/4G data internet services, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms (except voice call) in Bayana, Weir, Bhusawar, and Rupwas of Bharatpur districts, in preparation for the Mahapanchayat till October 17 midnight. 

After a day's revolt, the community leaders gave the Gehlot government an ultimatum till November 1, staying their protests. The leaders have decided that if the state government does not meet their demands, their protest will commence on November 1. Gujjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla had threatened to revive the 'rail roko' if the central government did not offer constitutional protection to 5 per cent reservation given to the five more Backward Classes (MBCs) including Gujjars in Rajasthan.

internet services snapped in Rajasthan district ahead of Gujjar Mahapanchayat

Gurjar Reservation in Rajasthan

In February 2019, the Gehlot government passed the Rajasthan Backward Classes Amendment Act-2019 paving the way for a 5 percent reservation for the community. With the passage of this bill, five castes including Gurjar, Gadiya, Luhar, Banjara, Rebari, and Raika which were previously classified as OBC, have now been classified as MBC (Most Backward Classes). While the bill was challenged, in April 2019, the Supreme Court refused to stay the reservation saying that it won't interfere in the interim order of the High Court.

Hansa exposes ‘money-trail’ claim, slams allegation of illegal transaction with Republic

The community had staged a major revolt demanding 5% reservation by camping on rail tracks across the state, affecting over 250 trains countrywide in February. The agitation even turned violent in Dholpur when unidentified miscreants fired 8-10 rounds in the air and three police vehicles were set afire by agitators, according to PTI. Previously, the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government had passed a bill granting 5% reservation to the community in 2008, but was stayed by the Rajasthan High Court. In another attempt in 2016, the BJP government reportedly raised the OBC quota from 21 percent to 26 percent, granting the additional 5 percent to Gujjars, but was struck down by the high court on grounds of breaching the 50 percent ceiling for reservation.