The Government on Wednesday refuted the Opposition charge in the Rajya Sabha of lapses in handling the Jat reservation stir in Haryana recently and said there was perfect co-ordination between the Centre and State Government.
Asserting this, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the Centre had provided intelligence in time to the State Government. It held a meeting with Jat leaders on February 14 in an effort to resolve the issue but the parleys were not successful, he said adding the situation became serious on February 19 after the BSF had to open fire to control a violent gathering.
Fielding questions from Vishambhar Prasad Nishad(SP) and Kumari Selja(Congress), who said it was “utter failure” on part of the Haryana Government to control the situation, Singh said the State Government had instituted an inquiry commission headed by former DGP Prakash Singh to probe acts of omission and commission.
Selja charged that police personnel deserted their positions during the agitation and mobs indulged in rampant arson. She also questioned the State Government’s efforts to mitigate the problems of people whose property and business were damaged. The Home Minister said a senior State Government officer was heading a committee to assess the damage and compensation to be paid to the victims.
Urging the members to wait for the findings of Prakash Singh committee report, the Home Minister said 2,012 FIRs were registered and 370 people arrested besides 20 cases registered by the Government Railway Police(GRP).
In its statement, the Home Ministry said the Centre had deployed 69 companies of Central Armed Police forces and 56 Army columns to maintain law and order in the State. There was “good coordination” between the Centre and the State, it said.