New Delhi/Jaipur: Stone-pelting Gujjars protestors were today teargassed by police as the agitation hit the national capital region disrupting roads and rail traffic and causing acute hardship to commutors.

The teargassing took place at south Delhi's Mehrauli area where protesters attacked the police by throwing stones. Incidents of violence including stone pelting also occurred at Aya Nagar, bordering Gurgaon, the police said.

Over 35,000 policement kept a tight vigil as the NCR rasta roko protesters blocked vehicular movement on major road stretches leading to the national capital.

Gujjars burnt tyres and placed blockades on the Delhi-Noida-Delhi (DND) Expressway, the Mathura Road connecting Faridabad and Delhi and Mehrauli-Gurgaon road.

The NCR agitation, called by All India Gujjar Mahasabha, is in support of the community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status in Rajasthan where 39 people were killed last week in police firing and clashes.

As their "martyrs days" protests were held Rajasthan's Karwadi and Bayana areas, the hotbeds of protests, an IAF helicopter dropped pamphlets appealing to the activists to refrain from violence and take up their demand for ST status with the Central government.

In Jaipur, a bandh called by the Gujjars brought public transport to a grinding halt with buses remaining off the roads. However, government offices and markets remained open.

Incidents of road blockades and forced shutdowns were reported from the districts of Alwar, Bundi, Tonk, Nagaur, Udaipur, Kota and Dausa, reports reaching police headquaters in Jaipur said. Anticipating trouble, the Railways today cancelled ten trains, including Nizamuddin-Kochi, Maharashtra Sampark Kranti, Nizamuddin-Udaipur and Dehradun-Bandra expresses.

Rail traffic between Aligarh and Ghaziabad was reportedly affected while a large number of protestors blocked a train in Loni in adjoining Ghaziabad this morning.

In Delhi, protest marches were held in Mehrauli, Aya Nagar, Mayur Vihar, Anand Vihar, Wazirabad, Surya Nagar, Khajuri Khaz, Sarai Kalekhan besides other areas.

The Union Home Ministry had put the National Capital Region on high alert two days ago following the agitation call and issued advisories to Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments asking them to take measures to maintain peace.

Tight security measures were also enforced in neighbouring areas like Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad. Reports from Noida and east Delhi said public transport was affected while private vehicles were plying but in less numbers. Vehicular traffic was also hit in south-west Delhi's Kapashera bordering Gurgaon.

Police are keeping a strict vigil on Delhi borders - especially on three points, Aya Nagar, Bopari and one in north-east district - to keep trouble-makers at bay.

Security personnel were deployed in strength in Gujjar strongholds like Mehrauli, Ghazipur, Patparganj, Badarpur, Khanpur, Ayanagar, Chilla village and Rampur, anticipating a strong showing by the community during the agitation.

 

Gujjar supporters block NH-8

Activists of the Ajit Singh-led Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) today blocked the Delhi-Jaipur highway at Narshingpur Chowk near here in support of the Gujjar agitation. About 500 people including some women, led by INLD district president Anantram Tawar, squatted on the NH-8, forcing the traffic to come to a standstill.

The INLD demonstrators raised slogans against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her government demanding Scheduled Caste status for Gujjars. Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta and Joint Commissioner of Police Manjit Singh Ahlawat were monitoring the situation at the site.

Source : PTI