Ahead of BJP national president Amit Shah’s visit to Jind on February 15, the Jat community has announced to hold a protest in the district against the ruling party and its chief on the same day.
The Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarkshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) led by Jat leader Yashpal Malik has announced to hold “Bhaichara Nyaya Yatra” at Jind on February 15 to seek answers from Amit Shah and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal for not fulfilling the promises made to the Jat community.
The ABJASS has announced that a “Bhaichara Nyaya Yatra” from various parts of Haryana will reach Jind to protest against BJP and question the ruling leaders about the non-fulfillment of the promises made to the Jat community last year.
Indian National lok Dal, Haryana’s main opposition party has also announced to hold a protest in Jind during Amit Shah’s programme. Shah will sound the poll bugle for Haryana in Jind on February 15 by flagging off a motorcycle rally of one lakh bikers.
Notably, besides reservation in government jobs and educational institutions at central and state level, the Jats have been demanding the release of youths arrested during quota stir in Haryana and withdrawal of cases registered against them.
The Jat agitation in February 2016 in Haryana had hogged national headlines after it had crippled road and rail traffic in much of northern India and also caused a water crisis in Delhi. The violent quota agitation had also left 31 people dead and more than 200 injured in Haryana.
After this, the Khattar government had buckled under pressure by giving 10 percent reservation to Jats and five other communities. However, the move was put on hold by the Punjab and Haryana High Court since May 2016.
The Jat community had then again held protests in various parts of Haryana last year but called it off following several rounds of parleys in New Delhi between the senior BJP leaders and Jat leaders.
Both sides had reached a consensus on issues, including initiation of the process of reservation for the Jats in central government jobs, general amnesty for those booked during the February 2016 Jat quota violence, reconsideration of criminal cases lodged against Jat agitators since 2010 and permanent jobs to next-of-kin of those killed and those maimed during the 2016 Jat agitation in Haryana.
Besides, the government had also assured to give monetary compensation to the injured and institute probe against officers accused of high-handedness during the Jat stir 2016.