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Congress, CPI (M) demand Vasundhara’s resignation

JAIPUR: The Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have demanded resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje owning moral responsibility for Friday’s police firing on agitating Gujjars in Bharatpur. The Gujjar crisis was wholly the creation of the Chief Minister and the people of the State were now paying a heavy price for her mistakes, the parties charged.

“The firing was undemocratic and uncalled for. Ms. Raje does not possess the qualities of a Chief Minister. We expect her to show at least the moral courage to step down,” said Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president C. P. Joshi.

“In a democracy people have the right to agitate. It is for the Government to open a meaningful dialogue with them so that the situation does not get out of hand,” Prof. Joshi observed.

The Congress leader said it was Ms. Raje who first gave hope to the Gujjar community promising Scheduled Tribe status for them at the time of the last Rajasthan Assembly elections. “The appointment of the Justice Chopra Committee to look into the demand for ST status too was an eyewash as it did not have any locus standi,” Prof. Joshi said. The BJP Government has had a bloody track record with many instances of police opening fire on agitators in the past, he noted.

The State Secretariat of the CPI (M), which condemned the police firing, demanded resignation of Ms. Raje and Home Minister G. C. Kataria.

Calling for a judicial enquiry into the police action, CPI (M) State Secretariat member Hazarilal sharma said: “There is a serious breakdown of the law and order situation in the State. This is a fascist government which kills people at will.”

As many as 51 people had been killed in police firing in the State so far under the present regime, he added.

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