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Karni Sena members, Jaipur police clash during protest against UGC Regulations 2026
Karni Sena members, Jaipur police clash during protest against UGC Regulations 2026
Jaipur, A clash erupted between members of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena and the police at multiple locations in Jaipur during their protest march demanding the rollback of University Grants Commission Regulations 2026, and other demands concerning the upper caste community.
The scuffle arose after the protesters, led by Karni Sena president Mahipal Singh Makrana, marched from Ravan Gate on Kalwar Road towards the Collectorate Circle.
Police had put up barricades at Kalwar Bridge to halt the rally, but demonstrators removed them and moved ahead, leading to a brief tussle with the police personnel.
Similar scenes occurred at Chomu Pulia, where protestors again pushed past barricades amid light rain.
During the confrontation, Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Kiran was also caught in the jostling, police said.
Police used water cannons to control the crowd, even as some protesters attempted to climb onto a water cannon vehicle, officials added.
An ambulance passing through the area was briefly stuck in the rally, but protesters later cleared the way, allowing it to move ahead.
Despite resistance, a large number of demonstrators continued towards the Collectorate Circle, where they were scheduled to submit a memorandum to the district administration.
The rally is part of a larger agitation that began nearly 24 days ago, when Makrana started a march from Jaipur to Deshnok in Bikaner district.
The "Savarna Nyay Yatra" later returned to Jaipur, with participants continuing the mobilisation despite Makrana reportedly falling ill during the journey.
Police said the situation remained under watch and additional personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.
The University Grants Commission Regulations, 2026, were notified on January 13 to eliminate caste-based discrimination and ensure equal opportunities across all Indian colleges and universities.
They were intended to update the older 2012 anti-discrimination guidelines to make them mandatory and legally enforceable.
However, the new guidelines were opposed by the general category groups, claiming that they offered no protection against false cases lodged by students from SC, ST and OBC groups.
Following the nationwide protests, the Supreme Court on January 29 granted an interim stay against the proposed rules.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
