Rajasthan passes Bill to provide 5% quota to Gurjars, 4 other communities

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, October 26

The Rajasthan Assembly on Thursday passed by a voice vote a Bill to provide 5 per cent quota to five communities, including Gurjars, in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) by raising its limit from 21 to 26 per cent. 

However, the opposition Congress MLAs continued for the third day their protest cum sit-in in the well of the House demanding crop loan waiver by the Vasundhara Raje government.

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In a sudden turn of events, Congress legislators who were in the well on farmers’ demand suddenly appeared with placards and raised anti-BJP slogans for "killing" Gujrars during their agitation in the past.

BJP ministers and MLAs exchanged heated arguments on this issue when Parliamentary Affairs Minister RS Rathore questioned Opposition whether they were against the OBC quota Bill or dishonouring the Gurjar community. 

Presenting the Bill, Arun Chaturvedi, minister in-charge, told the House the new legislation would provide for the reservation of seats in educational institutions in the state and of appointments and posts in services for the category. 

Five communities — Banjara, Gadiya Lohar, Gurjar, Raika, and Gadaria and their six sub-castes — have been covered in the 5 per cent category.

Opposition MLAs Manoj Nyangali and Pooran Mal (BSP) and treasury benches MLAs Prahalad Gunjal, G S Tiwari drew the attention of the House on yesterday’s Rajasthan High Court decision on Jat quota where the Centre and the state government were issued contempt notices for not complying the orders made earlier by the court.

The House was adjourned sine die after completing its business in the last three days.