While several non-Jat BJP leaders continue to remain vocal against accepting the demands raised by the Jat community during their agitation this year, Jat leaders are pinning hope on the Manohar lal Khattar Government to fulfil their demands by month’s end.
The Jats, who began protest in various parts of Haryana in January, had called off their agitation on March 19 following several rounds of parleys in New Delhi between the senior BJP leaders and Jat leaders, spearheading the community’s agitation in the State.
Both sides had reached a consensus on five points, including initiation of the process of reservation for the Jats in Central Government jobs, reconsideration of cases lodged against Jat agitators since 2010 and permanent jobs to next-of-kin of those killed and those maimed during the 2016 February 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. During the agitation last year, 31 people had died and more than 200 were injured in the State.
Even as a committee constituted under the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar Bedi is supervising the timely implementation of assurances given by the Government to the Jat community, several non-Jat BJP leaders, continue taking a stand contrary to their party besides issuing controversial statements.
Kurukshetra MP, Raj Kumar Saini, who had been vocal against Jat quota, continued the tirade against his own Govern-
ment for the handling of Jat agitation held in February last and during this year.
Saini, while talking to the mediapersons in Kurukshetra, said that the paramilitary forces were deployed and entire State machinery was deputed in February and March to manage the Jat protest this year. The State Government has sent out a wrong message in public, which is unhappy with the Government now, he said.
The BJP MP has also questioned the State Government for accepting all the demands of Jat community, who he alleged have forced the Government to give them reservation as well.
BJP Karnal MP, Ashwani Chopra has also time and again raised questions on the State Government for its mishandling of Jat agitation held in February last and this year.
Haryana Minister of State for labour and Employment, Nayab Singh Saini on Thursday also made it clear that all the cases registered during Jat agitation cannot be withdrawn.
Speaking on the demands of the Jat community, the Minister while talking to the mediapersons here said the State Government has sought legal advice on this and it would do the needful in cases which can be withdrawn under the ambit of the law. The Minister added that the cases registered in previous Jat agitations during Bhupinder Singh Hooda tenure were also not withdrawn. He, however, said that the Government is serious about the demands of Jat community and the committee constituted by the Government has held several meetings with the Jat representatives to resolve their issues.
Reacting to the statements of the BJP leaders, Yashpal Malik, head of Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, which was spearheading the Jat agitation in Haryana, said that these people are not running the Government. The CM has already assured us to fulfil our demands, he said.
When asked whether the Jat community have set a deadline for Haryana Government to fulfil their demands, Malik said that we are hopeful that our demands will be fulfilled by this month end. Meetings have been held with Government’s committee and things are in progress… We will wait and reveal our plan later, he added.