At least 11 people have died and around 150 have suffered injuries in the ongoing Jat agitation in Haryana, said State DGP YP Singhal even as he claimed that the situation is improving in the State.
The DGP on Sunday said that the top priority is to restore disrupted water supply to Delhi from Haryana, which has got affected due to the Jat stir. Disruption in water supply to Delhi from Haryana’s Munak canal due to the Jat agitation has severely affected supply to the national capital.
“With a view to restore the water supply to Delhi at the earliest, Haryana Government has rushed paramilitary and technical team of the Irrigation Department to Akbarpur-Barota point in district Sonepat. We are making efforts to restore the water supply soon so that Delhi residents do not feel any inconvenience because of it,” said Singhal while addressing a Press conference here on Sunday.
The state police force, according to the DGP, has formulated a night-dominance plan to restore peace in the state’s affected areas.
Even as the DGP claimed that the situation in the state has improved after enforcement of curfew and flag marches by paramilitary forces and the Army, people continued to suffer as the violent agitation by Jat protestors in Haryana continued for the eighth day on Sunday.
The DGP also refuted reports that there is a lack of coordination between the army deployed in the state and the state authorities. “It is incorrect that there is lack of coordination between Army and police. The paramilitary, army, magistracy and police are doing joint patrolling,” he said.
On the question of giving a free hand to army, Singhal said, “People who are protesting are also residents of Haryana. There is no provision in law to give free hand to the Army. Army is deployed in a state for the aid of civil administration. It is not deployed to kill people who are residents of the state,”
“Reservation issue is an emotional issue, thus a large number of people are involved in it. People of a particular community expect that they should be given reservation. For administration, it is very important to maintain law and order situation”, the DGP said.
On the accusations of certain police officers and personnel conniving with the protestors and not taking adequate action, the DGP said, “These are generalized statements. If there is any specific incident about police personnel participating in the protests, it should be brought to our notice.”
He also claimed that the situation is largely peaceful in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Sonipat, Kaithal and Jind and no casualties have occurred since Saturday evening.
On arresting Jat leaders, DGP said, “Whoever is found hatching conspiracy will be arrested.” He said that the police forces are trying to identify those indulging in violence and 45 persons had been rounded up. As many as 191 cases have so far been registered, he added.
He said that Haryana Government has made it a priority to secure the cities and prevent further incidents of violence. Concerted efforts would also be made to lift blockades on national and state highways. District-wise plan of action has been formulated to maintain law and order in the state.
Under this plan, paramilitary forces, Army and the State Police conducted ‘night dominance’ activities in various cities throughout the night. Apart from conducting flag marches, the security forces dispersed various anti-social elements and patrolled cities across Haryana.
The DGP informed that the Central Government had provided 49 companies of paramilitary forces, of which 39 companies have reached the state and 24 have already been deployed. Similarly, 69 columns of Army have been provided, which have been deployed in Jhajjar and Rohtak. The Central Government has sent an additional 10 columns, which have reached Delhi and would soon reach the state.
He appealed to the agitators to call off their agitation and clear the roads and railway track and also appealed them to ignore rumours.
He informed that the Crisis Management Group of Haryana comprising Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Director General of Police, held meetings with Union Cabinet Secretary, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Force and Director IB through video conference on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Speaking to the media, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, PK Das, claimed that the law and order situation in Rohtak, Gohana and Jind was better Saturday night as compared to that on Friday night.
When question about strict action against agitators, he said that there are many ways to deal with the ongoing situation, including political and administrative action, with police action as the last resort.
To a question that some women and children have been stranded during the stir and are without food, Das said, “We have reviewed the situation and are trying to evacuate these people. Already an action plan has been formulated.”