New Delhi:,With assembly elections coming closure, the Rajasthan government is in a damage-limitation mode by decision to withdraw cases against Rajputs.It has taken two major decisions to minimise damage in two daysthat may be caused by the Rajputs and the Gujjars, the two communities that have traditionally been BJP supporters but are miffed with the party of late.

On Monday, the government came out with clarifications regarding the OBC (other backward classes) and MBC (most backward classes) reservations for the Gujjars, prompting the pastoral community to withdraw its call to protest during Prime Minister NarendraModi’s July 7 Jaipur visit.

On Monday itself, the government made up its mind to withdraw cases against the Rajputs.The Rajasthan police registered 24 cases against Rajputs after violence at Sanwrad village in Nagaur district in July last year. Rajput leaders, such as Giriraj Singh Lotwara and Lokendra Singh Kalvi, were booked for rioting, inciting mob and wrongful confinement during their protest against what they called police encounter of Anandpal Singh, a Rajput with a long list of criminal cases.

On Monday evening, some Rajput leaders from the BJP met the chief minister to demand withdrawal of cases in which ‘innocent’ youths from the community were named.

“Thousands of youths were booked in the cases because they took part in an agitation to protest Anandpal Singh’s police encounter,” said Surendra Singh Shekhawat, state coordinator of training cell of the BJP YuvaMorcha. “We requested the CM to sympathetically consider withdrawing the cases. She has agreed to withdraw the cases as per the rules.”

Out of the 24 cases, three have been referred to the CBI. Of the remaining 21, police have filed closure in eight.