After issuing directions to step up surveillance to deal with any eventuality during the proposed Jat reservation agitation starting January 29 in 19 districts of Haryana, the Chief Minister Manohar lal on Tuesday directed his cabinet ministers to keep vigil in their constituencies during the proposed protest.
The Chief Minister has asked the ministers to remain present in their constituencies during the proposed protests and also, held talks with the Jat leaders in their areas to ensure peaceful quota protests across the state this time.
Manohar lal, during his routine informal cabinet meeting on Tuesday, also reviewed the preparedness of the civil and police administration to maintain law and order situation during the Jat protests.
The Chief Minister also held a meeting of BJP legislative party, later in the evening and asked the BJP MlAs to remain in their constituency during the Jat protest. He also asked them to hold talks with Jat and Khap leaders in their constituencies and apprize them about the Government’s commitment on Jat reservation issue.
The BJP MlAs have also been asked to keep in contact with civil and police administration in their constituency and keep a strict vigil on sensitive areas where the protests will be held.
Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) led by Yashpal Malik has announced fresh agitation in 19 districts of the state from January 29. Malik had announced that peaceful indefinite dharnas in villages
will be held till their demands are fulfilled.
The Jats are demanding reservation, compensation to the next of the kin who died during Jat agitation last year, withdrawal of FIRs registered against innocent Jat youth in Haryana.
In view of the proposed agitation, Haryana Government has sent already sent a requisition for 55 companies of central paramilitary forces to the Centre and has also issued call out notice to depute 7,000 Home Guards in the state.
Notably, the Jat agitation in February last year 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 left 30 people dead and more than 200 injured in Haryana.
At that time, the Manohar lal Khattar Government had appeared powerless to contain the escalating violent agitation of Jats who were 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 had last year defied curfew orders and poured out on the streets in various parts of the state for more than ten days, damaging private and public property worth crore of rupees.
After February’s Jat agitation, Haryana 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 Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed it, acting on a public interest litigation
The second Jat agitation was organised in June last which ended peacefully.