The ongoing Jat agitation in Haryana entered its ninth day on Monday with the Jat community reiterating to continue the protest till the State Government accepts their demands.
All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti chief Yashpal Malik said that the protests will continue till Chief Minister Manohar lal visits a dharna spot and announces to accept our demands.
The call for the fresh Jat stir has been given by some Jat outfits, especially those owing allegiance to AIJASS headed by Malik. He addressed the dharnas at Rohtak, Bhiwani and Dadri on Monday and warned the State Government to get ready to face consequences if the people sitting at peaceful dharnas are harassed by the civil and police administration.
Haryana’s main opposition party, INlD, has already extended its support to the ongoing Jat agitation and its leaders are visiting the dharna spots in various parts of the state.
Amid elaborate security arrangements across the State, the Jats are holding peaceful dharnas in 19 districts of the state. The Jats are seeking release of youths arrested during the Jat agitation last year, jobs to kin of Jats killed in the agitation and action against officials responsible for firing on Jat agitators.
With the Jat agitation entering ninth day, Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu on Monday questioned the need of holding the dharna protest and said that no one had been able to clarify the need for conducting agitation of reservation. The State Government has risen above petty politics of caste and other such considerations and provided for an effective law to grant reservation to Jat and other communities, he said.
He said that Chief Minister Manohar lal, had assured that after the Punjab and Haryana High Court vacated the stay in this matter, which is pending in the court, the State Government would urge the Central Government to include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
Reiterating that the State Government had made all possible efforts to grant reservation, he said that persons who genuinely wanted to work for reservation should come forward, and the Government was ready to pay the fee of lawyer hired by them.
On the dispute between Hansi SDM and DSP over Jat agitation, the Minister said that the officers should not indulge in such acts.
The alleged conversation between Hansi DSP Surender Kadiyan and SDM Prashant Atkan which went viral on social media still stands unverified. The SDM had accused DSP of inaction against the Jats who were posting provocative posts on social media and drinking during the protest. Following the entire controversy, the SDM has proceeded on leave.
Meanwhile, other Jat outfits headed by Hawa Singh Sangwan and Sube Singh Sumain have on Monday warned the State Government of resuming their agitation if their demands are not met by February 26.
Hawa Singh Sangwan while talking to the mediapersons here said that we had recently met Chief Minister and put forth two demands including withdrawal of cases and “aam maafi” to those youth arrested from February 18-23 last year during Jat quota stir and job to next of kin of those killed during the agitation.
The Chief Minster had sought 15 days time to fulfil our demands but nothing has been done so far, said he.
Sangwan warned the Haryana Government of a full-on war against them and organizing a maha rally in Jind on February 26 if their demands are not fulfilled. We will also begin an agitation in the state if our demands are not fulfilled by February 26, he added.
lashing out at Jat leader Yashpal Malik, he said that Malik does not care about the community and is betraying the people of the state.
During Jat agitation last February, districts namely Rohtak,Jhajjar, Sonepat, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal and Bhiwani had witnessed large scale violence. The violent quota agitation had left 30 people dead and more than 200 injured in Haryana.
This time, district magistrates have been appointed and all deputy commissioners and superintendents of police have been directed to ensure that highways and railway tracks are not obstructed and no damage is caused to property during the ongoing protest. Besides, 37 companies of central paramilitary forces have been allotted to Haryana by the Centre to keep vigil in sensitive districts during the protest.