ULTIMATUM Community leaders ask govt to agree to their demands, including reservation, within 72 hours or else they will come out on the roads in Haryana to hold protests again
I will convey the demands to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Pressing for your demands is your right, but I request you all to maintain peace ATUL KUMAR, Rohtak deputy commissioner
ROHTAK: Tension gripped the city as around 5,000 Jat protesters gathered in the city to press for their demands, including reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.
HT PHOTOJat activists staging a dharna near the district headquarters in Hisar on Monday, to press for their demands, including reservation for the community.Adopting a tough posture, Jat leaders also boycotted a meeting called by the newly-appointed deputy commissioner (DC) Atul Kumar and insisted that he come to meet them at the Jat Bhawan in Sector 1, where they were holding their congregation.
DC Kumar and superintendent of police (SP) Shashank Anand reached the spot to receive their memorandum, listing seven demands, including reservation and withdrawal of arrest warrants against several Jat youths for their participation in the recent reservation stir.
In the memorandum, Jat leaders asked the government to agree to their seven demands within next 72 hours or they will come out on the roads to protest again.
Taking the memorandum, DC Kumar said, “I will convey the demands to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Pressing for your demands is your right, but I request you all to maintain peace.”
Besides reservation and withdrawal of arrest warrants against Jat touths, protesters demanded a strict action against BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini and police officers, including DSP Amit Bhatia and Pawan Sharma, for ordering “lathicharge on innocent youths” inside the Neki Ram College hostel on February 18.
They alleged that ever since India became Independent, this is for the first time that any government used force on people peacefully protesting for their rights. They said they would protest against the government until all seven demands were met.
Heavy police and paramilitary forces were deployed in the area and across the city while barricades were set at 26 spots to control the traffic movement
within the city.
PANIC IN ROHTAK
Meanwhile, panic gripped the city as local residents witnessed a large number of policemen and paramilitary personnel deployed in the city. “Is the violence going to happen again?” asked Renu Nagpal from a police personnel. Talking to HT, she said, “Watching such a heavy police and paramilitary deployement is scary. I’m worried if this city is safe for us to live,” she said.
Pandit Suresh Sharma, owner of RN Central Mall, said, “I am scared if all that will happen again. The only solace I get is from the fact that my whole mall is ruined and I have nothing more to lose. But still it feels scary to even imagine it happening all again.”
The same happened in Jind, Jhajjar and Bhiwani where Jats gathered in large number to submit memorandums to respective deputy commissioners to give an ultimatum to the government. In Jind, thousands of Jats gathered at mini-secretariat where DC Vinay Singh came to take their memorandum. Jat leaders said this time, they would themselves make videos of their protest to prove they did not spread violence.
Protest march in Hisar, Sirsa; Jats firm on quota under OBC
HISAR: Jat activists took out protest marches in Hisar and Sirsa districts to press for their demands, including reservation in government jobs, on Monday.
HT PHOTORapid Action Force personnel deployed in Hisar on Monday.Jat protesters gathered at Krantiman Park here under the banner of All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) and later they marched to deputy commissioner’s office.
Heavy police force and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were deployed near the district headquarters premises to deal with any kind of untoward situation.
Jat protesters, who marched to district headquarters from Krantiman park, shouted slogans against the police, civil administration and the state government.
Talking to HT, AIJASS district president Rambhagat Malik said: “Jats from all over the district gathered here to press their demands, including reservation under the other backward caste (OBC) catogary. We have handed over a memorandum, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to Hisar DC Chander Shakher Khare at his residence, who assured that he will forward our memorandum to the government.”
“We are also demanding that proper financial help and government jobs be given to the family members of those who died during the protest We have also sought action against those police officers who ordered firing on innocent youths. We have also gave 72 hours ultimatum to the government to stop arrests of the Jat youths who are innocent. If police continue to arrest our youths, we will start our protest again,” Malik added.
“We also demand that the government pass a legislation in the state assembly to give us reservation under the OBC category,” Malik added.
In Fatehabad also, Jat leaders handed over a similar memorandum to the DC.
In Sirsa, hundreds of Jat activists protested under the banner of All India Jat Reservation Struggle Committee and All Jat Association of Sirsa .
The protesters gathered at Jat Dharamshala here and latr marched towards the minisecretariat.
Jats may misuse their strength in army and police, says MP Saini
ALLEGES DESPITE SHOOT-AT-SIGHT ORDER, ARMY AND POLICE DID NOT ACT TO CONTROL ARSONISTS
KARNAL: Already facing flak for his anti-Jat remarks, BJP’s Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini on Monday again criticised Jats for making an “illogical demand” for reservation and said the members of the community might misuse their strength in the army and police.
“They (Jats) dominate the Indian Army and the state police. Still they are demanding reservation. The demand is, therefore, not logical”, said Saini while talking to Hindustan Times.
He also raised a question over the working of the army and police and said, “As they (Jats) have good strength in the army and police, they did not take the required action when the state was burning, despite shoot-atsight orders given by the government.”
He added, “They (Jats) consider themselves above the Constitution, law and the government. They may misuse their strength in the army and the police.”
On the threat of Jat leaders to launch fresh protests, the MP said, “The threat of agitation is just to create pressure on the government for their wrong demand and the party should take timely action against them.”
He said, “At a time when the Prime Minister and RSS are saying that the prosperous people should shun benefits for the welfare of poor, Jats are adamant with their improper demand,” he added.
Asked why he did not raise the Jat reservation issue in the Parliament, he said, “I was not given time to speak”.
He refused to answer whether he would oppose the Haryana government’s decision to bring a law to provide reservation to Jats and other four castes under sthe pecial backward classes (OBC) category.
Meanwhile, the agitation call given by the members of the Jat community got a poor response in the northern districts very few people joined the day-long protest.