A day after the Jat community served a two-month ultimatum on the Haryana Government to complete all legal formalities and give reservation to Jats in Government jobs and educational institutions, Chief Minister Manohar lal on Monday said that the Government will not bow down under any pressure.
“The State Government would not submit to any pressure and work according to its policies,” said the Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons at Rewari.
Commenting on the court’s directions to put reservation law implementation on hold till the quantum of reservation is finalised by State Backward Classes Commission, Manohar lal said that the Commission is an autonomous body and would submit its report.
Responding to the announcement of Jat leaders giving two months ultimatum to the Haryana Government for giving reservation to Jats or face another agitation, the Chief Minister said that the Backward Classes Commission has to submit the report and around three months time has been given for submitting it. The Government will assist the Commission, whenever required, he added.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on Friday upheld the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admissions in Educational Institutions) Act passed by the State Assembly however, it referred the matter to the Backward Classes Commission for compiling quantifiable data and determine the extent of reservation, extending the stay on the Act’s implementation till March 31, 2018.
Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti chief Yashpal Malik, while speaking at a ‘Bhaichara rally’ held in Jhajjar on Sunday had warned the Government of launching another quota agitation. Malik had asked the BJP-led Haryana Government to extend the quota benefit within two months, otherwise, Jats would organise a protest march to the national Capital.
The rally at Jhajjar was attended by Jat leaders from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi. During the rally, the Jat community had also passed resolutions asking the State Government to expedite process for release of jailed Jat youths as per agreement in March, action against Jat leader Sube Singh Samain for an alleged attack on Yashpal Malik and registration of case against BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini for his anti-Jat statements.
With a non-Jat leader as its head, the debutant BJP Government led by Manohar lal had failed to staunch the violent Jat agitation last year that had killed 31 people, left more than 200 wounded and resulted in damage to property worth crores of rupees.
After this, the Khattar Government buckled under pressure by giving 10 per cent reservation to Jats and five other communities. However, the move was put on hold by the Punjab and Haryana High Court since last May.
The Jat community had again held protests in various parts of Haryana earlier this 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 assured to give monetary compensation to the injured and institute probe against officers accused of high-handedness during the Jat stir 2016.