The Jat agitation in Haryana entered its 43rd day on Sunday with the community leaders gearing up for their proposed protest on March 20 in the national capital.
Accusing the BJP led State Government of doing “injustice” to the Jat community, the protestors burnt effigies of the Government at dharna spots on Sunday.
Yashpal Malik, the president of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), which is spearheading the agitation, said the Jat community was gearing up to move towards Delhi on tractor trolleys and convert it into “Jat land” on March 20.
Malik visited dharna spots at loharu, Dadri and Rohtak on Sunday and told the protestors to gear up for their proposed protest in Delhi.
As many as 50 lakh Jats will bring their trolley and tractors to all the highways leading to the national capital on this day,” he said. “The protests has remained peaceful in Haryana so far. The Jat agitation has entered its 43rd day on Sunday in the state,” Malik said
The dharnas by Jats, continued at several places, including Bhiwani, Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Sirsa, Rewari, Jind, Jhajjar and Karnal.
Earlier, thousands of Jat protesters had assembled at the Jantar Mantar in the national capital on March 2 to press for their demands.
The Jat leader said that we have already started the non cooperation movement and the protesters will not cooperate with the government and no one will pay power, water bills and instalment of loans that they owe to the government.
Notably, the opposition—Indian National lok Dal and Congress—has lashed out at the Manohar lal Khattar Government for its failure to fulfil the promises made to the Jat community during last year’s Jat stir. During the recently concluded budget session of Haryana Assembly, the opposition had also alleged that the BJP government is betraying the Jat community and trying to incite violence again during the ongoing peaceful protest by Jats in 20 districts of the state.
Besides seeking quota in education and government jobs under Other Backward Classes category, the demands of the Jats include release of those jailed during last year’s agitation, withdrawal of cases slapped during the protest and government jobs for the kin of those killed and injured while taking part in the stir.
In a similar Jat stir last year in February, as many as 31 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged at many places in Haryana. Rohtak and some of its neighbouring districts, including Sonipat and Jhajjar, were the worst hit by the violence.