Delhi and suburbs paralysed as Gujjars on the rampage (LEAD)

Jun 4, 2007, 7:15 GMT

New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Rajasthan's troubles spilled over the Indian capital Monday with thousands of Gujjars blocking highways, burning buses and disrupting traffic during a daylong protest to demand tribal status for their community.

Protestors blocked vehicular movements on the Delhi-Karnal highway, Gurgaon-Faridabad highway and roads coming in from the satellite towns of Faridabad and Gurgaon, leading to chaos with many thousands stuck in traffic snarls.

Angry mobs gathered near Aya Nagar in south Delhi, close to the suburb of Gurgaon, stoned the police and set at least two Delhi Transport Corp (DTC) buses on fire. The protestors shouted slogans and burnt effigies of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Trouble also erupted at the busy Ashram Chowk in south Delhi.

Police arrested at least 20 members of Gujjar community from Ghitorni village for blocking the busy Mehrauli-Gurgaon road, trapping office goers on their way to work in the satellite town or those coming into the capital.

'We have arrested 20 people who were trying to spread riots and block roads. We will be able to clear the blocked stretch on Mehrauli-Gurgaon road soon.' Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.

'We have already deployed massive force in every part of the capital to maintain law and order,' he said.

There were similar incidents in every corner of the capital. Buses were burnt near the border with Uttar Pradesh in east Delhi's Ghazipur and Khajoori Khas areas.

Traffic was also disrupted on the vital Noida-Delhi link road near Mayur Vihar in east Delhi as hundreds of protesters burnt tyres and ensured that no traffic got through an entire stretch leading up to the Akshardham temple.

There were also protests in Azadpur and Wazirabad in northwest Delhi, Peeragarhi in west and Sonia Vihar in east Delhi.

'We have diverted all vehicles coming from neighbouring states and traffic cops have been stationed at all points to regulate traffic flow,' Deputy Commissioner of Police H.P.S. Virk said.

'We are trying to disperse the protestors and somehow managed to clear the traffic movement on Delhi-Gurgaon road. We are also making efforts to start traffic on the Gurgaon-Faridabad highway,' Senior Superintendent of Police (Gurgaon) Hanif Qureshi told IANS.

On Sunday, Delhi's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Ramvir Singh Vidhuri led hundreds of people in a protest near Jantar Mantar and in another meeting of the All India Gujjar Mahasabha, where it was decided to call for a shutdown - and intensify their movement for quotas in education and jobs.

The protests that originated May 29 in Rajasthan have also spread to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The mass anger is directed against the Rajasthan government for having fired at Gujjar mobs, leaving nearly 20 people dead.

Five people were also killed and 20 injured Friday in clashes between Gujjars and Meenas in Rajasthan's Dausa and Karauli districts, taking the death toll to 25.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service