Haryana Police on Thursday appealed to Jat protesters to end their agitation, saying it will only cause inconvenience to the public and lead to confrontations.
Haryana Additional Director General of Police, law and Order, Muhammad Akil said efforts were being made to convince Jat community members not to participate in the sit-ins as “it will cause inconvenience to the public and lead to confrontations”.
While talking to the mediapersons, he said that we appeal to the protesters to maintain peace and end their agitation.
The Jat protesters are demanding reservation in government jobs and education institutions under the OBC category.
“At present, Jats are staging sit-ins during the daytime in 12 districts. However, their number has reduced since the start of the second leg of the quota agitation on June 5,” said the ADGP.
“Similarly, the number of sit-ins during night has come down to seven and their strength has also reduced significantly,” he said.
No incident of violence, road or rail blockade has been reported from anywhere in the state so far. The law and order situation is “proper”, he said.
With regard to the restoration of internet facilities in some districts, he said that police is assessing the situation and would decide accordingly.
When asked about preparedness of the Police administration in view of National Yoga Day programme at Chandigarh where Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be chief guest, he said that police is fully geared up and foolproof arrangements for maximum security would be made for the same.
Besides heavy deployment of state police, paramilitary personnel drawn from CRPF, ITBP and BSF have been mobilised in sensitive districts of the state following a call given for holding protests for Jat reservation from
June 5.
A close vigil is being maintained across the state, including on national highways and railway tracks which the protesters had blocked for several days during the previous phase of Jat quota agitation in February.
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.
After the Jat agitation in February, which led to 30 deaths and caused destruction in Haryana, the State Government had brought law to provide 10 per cent reservation for Jats and five other communities under a newly carved Backward Classes (C) category.
However, the High Court stayed it, acting on a public interest litigation, after which some Jat groups had announced the fresh stir.