Jaipur/ New Delhi: The caste deadlock continues in Rajasthan as on one hand the Gurjars are adamant on their demand for inclusion in the list of Schedule Tribes while another community - the Meenas - is opposing the demand.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has agreed to hold talks with Gurjar leaders on Saturday afternoon in the fourth attempt at negotiations between the two sides. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will also be represented by Anant Kumar and Gopinath Munde, who is also the in-charge for Rajasthan, at the talks.
Pressure is mounting on Raje to find a way out of the crisis after the third round of talks between the two sides ended inconclusively on Friday.
Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur and Karoli districts, which saw violence on Friday, are slowly returning back to normal with no violent incidents reported in the last 12 hours though the situation is still tense.
Shoot-at-sight orders are still in force in Bharatpur and Sawai Madhopur districts.
However, firing has been reported between Meenas and Gurjars in Karauli and Hindaun.
Public transport continues to be affected though the Delhi-Jaipur highway is now operational, but Gurjar protestors continue to block traffic on the Agra-Jaipur highway at Patoli.
The Rajasthan government has sealed its borders with Punjab and Haryana to prevent the movement of people. Train services on the Delhi-Mumbai and Rewari-Jaipur routes have been restored.
Senior BJP leaders also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday morning to discuss the crisis in Rajasthan. The PM appealed for appeals for peace and calm in Rajasthan and Haryana. He also expressed grief over loss of life and property.
After the meeting ended inconclusively the leaders - BJP President Rajnath Singh, Jaswant Singh and LK Advani - went to meet former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to work out their next course of action.
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