The Jat agitation in Haryana spreads to Delhi University and the national Capital’s bordering areas on Saturday with hundreds of protesters extending their support to Haryana for granting OBC status to the community in public, private and Government sectors.
Angry people from the Jat community protested at various places that led to major traffic jams in outer Delhi. At some places, police even resorted to mild lathi-charge to disperse the protestors. Some students allegedly received minor injuries.
All bus and rail services to the neighbouring State were badly disrupted with thousands of commuters left stranded at depots and railway stations. Drinking water supply too was hit in many areas of the city as angry protesters damaged Munak canal in Haryana.
Meanwhile, police deployed in the north campus dispersed the protesters using water cannons. The protest led to severe traffic jams on Mall Road as well.
“The Government is not paying attention and our protest is against the injustice being done to us,” said one of the protesters. The agitating students blocked the roads near Khalsa College and raised slogans demanding their inclusion in the OBC category and thereby reservation in Government jobs.
Among the places where protestors blocked traffic are Nangloi-Najafgarh road, Nangloi-Sultanpuri road and Rohtak Road. Even the Peeragarhi crossing that connects outer Delhi with Punjabi Bagh, Rohini, and Vikaspuri was blocked. West Delhi DCP Pushpender Kumar said extra police force was deployed at all places where protests were held. He said the situation was brought under control by 4 pm.
Major protests were held at borders neighbouring Haryana at Auchandi border, Tikri Kalan, Dhansa, Singhu Border, Apsara, Gurgaon-Faridabad, Ballabgarh and lampur, forcing the authorities to divert traffic. There are also chances that prices of vegetables, fruits and milk may shoot up by 10 to 20 per cent in the next few days as city receives milk and cash crops like tomato, capsicum, cucumber, chillies and brinjal from Haryana.
Though the agitation is not going to lead to any shortage of essential communities, but it is bound to jack up their prices, said sources. Former Azadpur subzi mandi chairman Rajender Sharma said, “The supplies coming from UP, Rajasthan, Punjab, HP and Uttarakhand will have to be diverted. That’s why we fear that prices of these commodities may go up in coming days.”
Also, there is a fear that the agitation might spread to all the 15-odd Jat-dominated Assembly seats in Delhi. Areas having sizeable presence of Jats have been put under extra surveillance with security being beefed up in Najafgarh, Bijwasan, Vikaspuri, Matiala, Mehrauli, Mundka, Nangloi, Bawana, Narela, Burari, Gokalpuri, Rohtas Nagar, Malviya Nagar, Greater Kailash and RK Puram.
Jats comprise about 5.5 per cent of the Capital’s population. There are about 12 per cent of Jats in North-West Delhi, five per cent in South Delhi, three per cent in North-East Delhi and two per cent in both East and New Delhi. Talking to The Pioneer, Congress Jat leader Naresh Kumar demanded the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal for ordering lathi- charge on protesters.