Jat quota stir continues in Haryana, army uses chopper to reach Rohtak

The army used helicopters to reach police lines in Rohtak on Saturday as the Jat community continued their agitation demanding reservation in jobs and education.

Agitators set fire to Bhuda Khera Railway station in Jind and blocked roads and highway in Bahadurgarh, ANI reported.

On Friday , violence continued in parts of Haryana as the agitating Jat leaders rejected the offer made by the state government and said that the stir for reservation in jobs and education would continue till their demand is met.

Protestors pelted stones at the residence of a BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini in Kaithal on Friday evening, police said.

Around 50 persons attacked Saini’s residence, damaging window panes. Some adjoining houses were also damaged in the stone pelting, police said.

The BJP parliamentarian had earlier expressed objection over giving reservation to Jats and even threatened to resign if there was “any loss” to reservation quota for OBCs.

Agitation over #JatReservation in Bahadurgarh (Haryana), agitators block highway & roads. pic.twitter.com/AL3zDberTz

— ANI (@ANI_news) February 20, 2016

After holding an all party meeting in Chandigarh, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said the state government will prepare a draft bill for giving reservation to Jats and suggestions have also been sought from all parties in this regard.

Reacting to it, Jat leader Yashpal Malik said, “There is no solid offer made by Haryana government. BJP government is just trying to befool Jats as its intentions with regard to giving reservation to Jats is not clean,” All India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti’s national president, Yashapal Malik said on Friday.

Mailk said, “the government should first bring an ordinance and then bring a bill in Haryana Vidhan Sabha for giving reservation to Jats. If government does it, then it will be acceptable to us,” he said.

Earlier in the day Mailk, national president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, had threatened to intensify agitation in other parts of the state including Panchkula and Yamunanagar.

“We want BJP government in Haryana to bring legislation in the upcoming budget session to include Jats in OBC category,” he said.

“Only Haryana CM has problem in giving reservation to Jats. Rest of leaders in BJP are in favour of giving reservation,” he said.

Malik also accused Khattar of having “castiest mentality”.

“Khattar has jatiwadi mansikta (casteist mentality) because he is not a Jat. He is trying to prove himself as a leader of non-Jat people in the state by way of not giving reservation to Jats as was done by former Haryana CM Bhajan Lal in the past. His (Khattar) stand is against party line. The problem in Haryana today arose because of his mentality,” Malik said.

Meanwhille, the army was deployed in eight districts of Haryana with curfew and shoot-at-sight orders imposed in two of them after protests by the Jat community for quotas in jobs and education turned violent on Friday, leaving three people dead and dozens injured.

The Centre also sent in 3,300 paramilitary personnel as rampaging mobs held policemen captive, vandalised a mall and set ablaze several government and private properties including the houses of a minister and an MLA from the ruling BJP.