The Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana appeared powerless to contain the escalating violent agitation of Jats that began almost a week back demanding reservation in Government jobs and educational institutions.
Even as the Army was called in to restore the deteriorating law and order situation in the State, the Jat agitators on Saturday defied curfew orders and poured out on the streets in various parts of the State on the seventh day in a row, damaging private and public property.
The State continued to be on the boil on Saturday as more incidents of violence were reported from various parts with protestors clashing with police personnel and army. Reports of stone pelting at Army and cops, mobs setting police jeeps, State-run buses, police posts, banks, railway stations and toll plazas on fire were also received.
With a non-Jat leader as its head, the debutant BJP Government led by Manohar lal Khattar in Haryana failed to staunch the aggravated Jat agitation that has killed six people by Saturday evening and left more than 100 injured across the State.
The ineptness of the State Government to deal with the worsening situation can be gauged from the fact that Government just remained dependent on a series of appeals made by its Ministers to restore peace in the State following its talks with Jat community failed to pacify the protestors.
As the law and situation remained tensed and curfew was clamped in more districts in Haryana, a series of meetings were held in New Delhi and Chandigarh to review the law and order situation in the state.
After apprising the Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the situation, the Chief Minister held a meeting with Cabinet Ministers at his residence in Chandigarh to discuss the future course of action to deal with the situation.
Sources said that discussion on bringing an ordinance on Jat reservation was also held in the meeting where Cabinet Ministers Anil Vij, Capt. Abhimanyu, Ram Bilas Sharma, Chief Secretary DS Dhesi among other officers were present.
Following the meeting, the Chief Minister has directed the MlAs and Ministers to visit their constituencies and assembly segments and reach out to the people to ensure peaceful environment in the state.
The Government has already announced to bring a bill in the State assembly to provide reservation to Jats and also offered to enhance the EWS quota from 10 per cent to 20 per cent to extend benefits to Jats, however, the proposals have so far failed to assuage the ongoing Jat agitation.
Two Cabinet Minister and prominent Jat leaders Capt Abhimanyu and Om Parkash Dhankar also held talks with the Jat community and made appeals to end the agitation, albeit, the leaderless Jat agitation continued for the seventh day in the State.
Following a series of meetings in New Delhi, BJP general secretary and Haryana in-charge Anil Jain hinted at political backing in the ongoing agitation and also claimed to reveal more details on this after sometime.
A show cause notice was also issued to BJP Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini, who repeatedly issued anti-Jat remarks and was blamed for inciting the Jats.
The Chief Minister Manohar lal also made it clear that the Government did not agree to the statement of BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini and no one should make such a statement which adversely affects the feeling of brotherhood.
He again appealed to those agitating in the State to withdraw their agitation and return to their homes as the Government has accepted their demands.
As per the information, Jat leaders in Faridabad have demanded compensation and a job for the family members of those killed in police firing in Rohtak. Besides demanding inquiry against police personnel found guilty in the matter, the Jat leaders also demanded status of martyr for those killed while demanding reservation for Jats.