United on demands, divided on protest

Bharatpur: Members of the Mali community, who have been blocking the Jaipur-Agra National Highway demanding 12 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, announced to lift the blockade but to continue the movement. The decision was taken on Monday after 16 people, including the leaders of the movement Murari Lal Saini and Shailendra Kushwaha, were released from the jails of Saver and Karauli.

Murari Lal Saini announced in the evening that we are vacating the highway but the movement will continue. “We will sit 500 meters away from the highway. A committee will be formed which will go to Jaipur and hold talks with the government regarding reservation. We will go to Jaipur and talks will happen,” Saini said. A 21-member committee was formed on Monday evening for talks with the government.

On this, most of the agitators opposed vacating the highway and asked to stay on the highway till the talks were held. The agitators, however, continued to sit on the highway with sticks in hands.