4 killed as protests spread; curfew in 8 towns; agitators to continue stir till quota Ordinance
Haryana remained on the boil on Saturday as violence and arson in the Jat quota stir spread to more areas on Saturday with four people being killed in firing by security personnel in Rohtak and Jhajjar districts taking the death toll to eight even as the Army staged flag marches in affected pockets. The agitators vandalised educational institutions, police vehicles, buses, hotels, railway stations, bus stand, petrol pump, toll plazas and a mall.
Curfew was clamped on five more Haryana towns —Jind, Hisar and Hansi, Sonipat and Gohana towns of Sonipat district. While curfew imposed on Friday on Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar towns continued. Among the four dead, three were identified as Parveen (Jhajjar), Krishan (Jhajjar) and Nitin (Rohtak). The identity of the fourth is not known yet.
The protesters rejected the call of Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar to “return to their homes as the Government has accepted their demands”. Several Jat leaders refused to call off the pro-quota agitation unless the Government promulgates an Ordinance to include the community in the OBC category.
The road and rail traffic through Haryana and destined to neighbouring States, including Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Rajasthan and Chandigarh, remained disrupted with authorities cancelling bus and train services on most routes in the wake of continuing blockade.
Army had to use choppers to reach parts of blocked Rohtak district. Two hundred paramilitary personnel were airlifted from New Delhi to Rohtak.
The agitation has severely hit the movement of more than 800 trains, and seven stations in the State were set on fire by the agitators. Jhajjar, Buddha Khed, Julana, and Pillu Kheda were among the seven stations which were set afire, a Railway spokesperson said, adding that two track machines were also burnt at Pillu Kheda.
The mob also targeted some banks and private offices along the roads besides damaging the residence of BJP leader Anand Sagar in Jhajjar. Thousands of Jat youths were seen running amok across Rohtak town, setting on fire and looting shops and businesses. Circuit house, sadar police station and Vita milk plant in Rohtak were set on fire on Saturday.
Former Minister Attar Singh Saini’s brother was shot at in Hansi at Hisar, while mob pelted stones at the residence of Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar in Jhajjar.
Haryana DGP YP Singhal on Saturday said that Army and paramilitary personnel are conducting flag march in affected areas and senior officers have also been deputed to affected areas to supervise the flag march by Army and paramilitary forces and assist the district administration. National Highway 1 has been blocked at several points in a stretch of about 40 km in Sonepat, informed the DGP.
The road link NH1 from Chandigarh to Delhi has been severely affected. The protesters also set on fire several buses of Haryana Roadways, shops and a petrol station in Gohana, where a flag march by Army was subsequently held. The toll plaza on the Panipat-Rohtak highway was also set on fire by mobs. Protesters uprooted the Delhi-Ambala railway track at Rajlu Garhi in Panipat district.
The DGP said the ongoing agitation in Haryana was “leaderless”, and the role of outsiders in the violence could not be ruled out. Despite the army being deployed, the situation in Haryana continued to remain tense across the state.
The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India suspended operations at its two plants in Gurgaon and Manesar as component supplies have been hit by the agitation of Jats demanding job reservation.
In a new twist to the agitation, there were reports of clashes between Jats and non-Jats with 10 persons being injured at Kalayat in Kaithal district and in Hansi area of Hisar district.