Even after facing the wrath of residents and being heckled in the arson-affected areas of Haryana, politicians are again making a beeline to these areas amid the continuing blame game over the violence during the Jat quota stir.
More than one-and-a-half months after being heckled and shown black flags by Rohtak residents after Jat stir, Chief Miniter Manohar lal on Friday reached Kalanaur and Meham in Rohtak to reach out to those affected due to violence during the agitation in February.
Under fire from various quarters for failing to control the aggravated situation during the Jat agitation, the beleaguered Manohar lal Khattar Government is currently in damage control mode to soothe frayed tempers of various communities.
During his visit to Rohtak, the CM launched a scathing attack at Congress accusing the party for hatching a conspiracy for inciting violence during Jat stir that killed 30 people and injured more than 300 people. Condemning the violence that occurred during the agitation, the CM while addressing the affected families said that those found guilty would not be spared and no action would be taken against the innocent. As the Jat agitation has sharpened caste faultlines in Haryana, Manohar lal also appealed to the people to work with the spirit of ‘Haryana Ek — Haryanvi Ek’.
The blame game between the ruling BJP and opposition over Jat agitation continues during the ongoing Sadbhavna programmes being held by the political parties in the state.
While the BJP has been holding Sadbhavna programmes to rebuild public faith in the government besides responding to the oppositions’ allegations, the Congress has also started Sadbhavna Yatra to visit arson-affected areas and hit out at the ruling on various issues including Jat stir and Sutlej Yamuna link canal.
The surfacing of audio recording of former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s aid Prof Virender, in which he allegedly incited violence during the Jat stir has already landed Congress in trouble. Another revelation made by Rohtak Police regarding the audio recordings of Jat leader and advocate Sudeep Kalkal, in which he was making plan to attack the house of Finance Minister Capt Abhimayu, has now provided the ruling BJP with welcome ammunition to hit out at the Congress for allegedly planning to disturb the peace and harmony in the State.
Not missing any opportunity to target the BJP Government, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Friday blamed the State Government for the violence that led to losses of many lives and crores of rupees in the State. Responding to BJP’s allegations on him, Hooda went onto say that BJP leaders has no work to do except blaming Congress for their own failures.
On the other hand, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, during the ongoing Sadbhavna Yatra, in Rewari, questioned the CM saying, “Where was he when Haryana was burningIJ What is point of visiting the affected areas nowIJ, said the Congress leader.
The Manohar lal Khattar Government in Haryana had appeared powerless to contain the escalating violent agitation of Jats that lasted for almost ten days in the state in February.
Even as the army was called in to restore the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, the Jat agitators had defied curfew orders, damaging private and public property leading to the losses of Rs 650 crores.
The State Government, meanwhile, on Friday appointed a 2-member judicial commission headed by Justice SN Jha (retd.), former Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court and Rajasthan High Court, to inquire into the sequence of events leading to violence in districts namely Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal and Bhiwani during Jat quota stir in February.
Earlier on February 24, the State Government had constituted a one-man commission headed by retired IPS Prakash Singh to probe into the alleged failure and inaction of civil and police officials during the Jat agitation.