With Opposition INlD and Congress lending support to the Jat agitation which entered the 11th day in Haryana, a war of words has broken out among political parties to cash in on “caste politics” in the State.
leader of Opposition and INlD senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala on Wednesday visited Rohtak and met the Jat agitators asking them to continue their fight for reservation.
The INlD leader while extending his support to the ongoing Jat quota agitation, blamed both the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress for failing to give reservation to Jat community in the State.
Addressing the Jat protestors, Chautala also accused the BJP-led Haryana Government of deliberately delaying the issue of giving reservation.
He said that the issue of reservation given to Jats and other five communities would be raised in the upcoming session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. The State Assembly would not allow to work till the issue of reservation is resolved, said Chautala.
lashing out at the ruling BJP, he said that the State Government is not serious about Jat reservation. Hence, the case was not being pursued intently in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
He also accused the Khattar Government of trying to divide the people on communal basis in the State. Criticising the BJP, he added that the ruling party gave a free hand to MP Rajkumar Saini for issuing anti-Jat statements.
A day before, both INlD and Congress had announced to extend support to Jat protesters over their demands for quota in education and jobs.
The Jat protesters are demanding quota under OBC category, withdrawal of cases registered against community members during the previous stir, status of martyrs for those killed and jobs for their next of kin, besides compensation for the injured.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Ministers OP Dhankar and Anil Vij hit back at the Opposition for extending their support to the Jat agitation.
Talking to the mediapersons, Cabinet Minister OP Dhankar accused INlD and Congress of politicising the issue. He went onto say that it was the Congress that had disturbed the peace in Haryana during February’s Jat quota stir. Now, the opposition parties are again trying to disturb the peace in the state, alleged Dhankar.
On the other hand, senior Minister Anil Vij accused the Congress and INlD of hatching another conspiracy to create a controversy after the Rajya Sabha polls.
Haryana Government has called Jat leaders and representatives of khap panchayats for talks on June 17. So far, the talks between BJP led Haryana Government and Jat leaders have remained inconclusive as the agitators continue to press for their demands
During the previous Jat agitation in February, as many as 30 persons were killed, 320 others injured and property worth crores was destroyed in the State.
After the February’s Jat agitation, which had paralysed normal life in Haryana and affected Delhi and other neighbouring states too, the State 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 High Court had stayed it, acting on a public interest litigation, after which some Jat groups had announced the fresh stir.