With the Jat reservation agitation entering its 13th day in the State, Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Parkash Dhankar on Friday convened a meeting with Haryana khaps and Jat leaders to put an end to the protests held in various parts of the State.
Several Khaps and Jat leaders had already announced to boycott the meeting.
The meeting which lasted for more than 2 hours saw arguments between the representatives of various Jat organisations. Several Jat leaders opposed Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha leader Yudhvir Singh Sehrawat’s presence in the meeting.
Heated arguments were witnessed between the Jat leaders as many expressed their anguish over Akhil Bhartiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) national president Yashpal Malik for politicising the reservation issue. Some Jat leaders also questioned BJP led State Government’s seriousness on giving reservation to the Jat community.
The Jat protesters are demanding quota under OBC category, withdrawal of cases registered against community members during the previous stir, status of martyrs for those killed and jobs for their next of kin, besides compensation for the injured.
All these issues were raised during the meeting.
While talking to the mediapersons, Cabinet Minister OP Dhankar said that we have patiently listened to the demands of various Khaps and Jat organisations.
The State Government has assured them that action would not be taken against innocent and compensation would be provided to the families of innocent victims of February’s Jat quota stir, said Dhankar.
During the ongoing Jat agitation which began on June 5, a close vigil is being maintained across the State, including on national highways and railway tracks which the protesters had blocked for several days during the previous phase of Jat quota agitation in February.
No incident of violence, road or rail blockade has been reported from anywhere in the state so far.
After the February’s Jat agitation, which had paralysed normal life in Haryana and affected Delhi and other neighbouring states too, the State Government had brought in a law to provide reservation for Jats and five other communities under a newly carved Backward Classes (C) category. However, the High Court had stayed it, acting on a public interest litigation, after which some Jat groups announced the fresh stir.
As many as 30 persons were killed, 320 others injured and property worth crores was destroyed during the previous quota agitation earlier this year.