Centre rules out use of Article 356 in Rajasthan

The Union Government has ruled out the dismissal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Rajasthan in the wake of the Gujjar agitation.

New Delhi, June 2 : The Union Government has ruled out the dismissal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Rajasthan in the wake of the Gujjar agitation.

Union Minister of State for Home, Sriprakash Jaiswal said the Centre will not use Article 356 and does not want to sack any Government.

However, the State Government should take adequate steps to deal with the law and order situation and assured all assistance to it from the Centre, he said.

On Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's letter to Prime Minister, recommending four to six per cent reservation for Gujjars in the category of Denotified Class of Tribals or Nomadic Tribe, he said the letter was meaningless as reservation could not exceed 50 per cent.

He alleged that the letter had been written because the Raje Government had made a "false promise" to the Gujjars at the time of elections that the community would be included in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.

However, Rajendra Singh Rathore, a Rajasthan Government Minister, said that no such promise had been made to voters, as it was the Centre alone, which is empowered to include any particular caste in the ST list.

ANI