Gujjars lay siege of Delhi; buses torched, roads blocked

NEW DELHI: Normal life was thrown out of gear in several parts of Capital on Monday as agitating Gujjars laid siege to all entry points to Delhi and vented their anger at city buses causing traffic chaos.

However, shops and business establishments were open across the capital, barring some Gujjar dominated areas including Chilla and Dallupura villages in East Delhi and some South Delhi localities bordering Faridabad in Haryana.

Protesters blocked several key roads linking the capital to adjoining Panipat, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in their bid to enforce their day-long call for shutdown to demand Scheduled Tribe status in Rajasthan, triggering major traffic jams at all the state entry points in the morning rush hours.

The Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road was the worst hit as stick-wielding protestors attacked city buses and burnt tyres blocking the road.

There were reports of police bursting tear gas shells and firing in the air to disperse the protestors in Ghitorni area bordering Gurgaon in Haryana. Clashes with police also took place in Badarpur.

Six DTC buses were torched in Aya Nagar, Jasola, Dera, Usmanpur and Wazirabad, while some buses were damaged in Khajoori Khas in Northeast Delhi and at Patparganj in East Delhi, police said.

Scores of angry protestors blocked the major arterial roads at Ghazipur crossing, Wazirabad, Anand Vihar, Badarpur, Mehrauli, Githorni, Khajoori Khas, Kalindi Kunj and Mayur Vihar by burning tyres, leading to huge traffic snarls.

Security was beefed up at roads along the Delhi border with neighbouring states and capital-bound vehicles were being diverted to alternative routes.

The National Highway-24 linking the capital to Ghaziabad and Lucknow was closed for traffic and a posse of policemen kept vigil at the Ghazipur Chowk, where hundreds of Gujjars blocked traffic.

Trucks carrying vegetables and other essential supplies were unable to reach the Ghazipur Wholesale market abutting the Uttar Pradesh border in east Delhi.

On the Noida Link Road near Mayur Vihar, about 100 protestors threw burning bicycles on the road leading to long traffic snarls. The road was opened for traffic around 11:00 am.

An Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation bus was set ablaze by agitating Gujjars at Kasna in Greater Noida.

Police fired in the air to disperse the protestors in the area.

At Noida, the main Sector 14 A border road was blocked for over three hours by the Gujjars.

The protestors blocked rail traffic at Dadri area. Several trains were held up at Dadri, Ajaibpur and Dankore railway stations.

Gujjar leaders held a series of meetings, including a 'Maha Panchayat' (major congregation), here on Sunday and decided to call for a shutdown in Delhi on Monday.

The Gujjar agitation demanding ST status in Rajasthan began last week in Dausa and adjoining districts of the state and spread to community-dominated areas in neighbouring states of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi Police have made elaborate security arrangements and deployed virtually the entire force of over 50,000, along with about 2000 central para-military personnel, on the roads to maintain law and order.