Jaipur, Oct. 2: Thousands of Gujjars agitating for Scheduled Tribe status courted arrest across Rajasthan today, but the numbers were less than the five lakh anticipated.

State police chief A. S. Gill said the arrests, which coincided with the Mahatma’s birth anniversary, were peaceful.

PWD and parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Singh Rathore said the total number of arrests would be around 65,000. He described the situation in Jhunjhunu, from where he was speaking, as “totally under control”.

However, Roop Singh, the spokesperson for the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, claimed that at least a lakh Gujjars courted arrest in Bharatpur, including retired colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla, who was leading the protest.

In Jaipur, Congress MP Sachin Pilot was arrested with at least 25,000 Gujjars.Twenty-six people had died three months ago in the first phase of the agitation by the Gujjars, who want the state to immediately write to the Centre recommending the status.

Since the plan was announced on Sunday, the authorities set up over 259 temporary jails, mostly government buildings, for at least 1.5 lakh protesters. They have not been allowed to keep mobile phones or to smoke.