If demand not met, Jats to protest in Delhi on May 11

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jind, March 28

Even as the positive response of PM Narendra Modi has revived their hopes for reservation, Jat organisations have warned will launch a national level protest in New Delhi on May 11 if the government does not fulfil its promise.

A meeting of all Jat reservation struggle committees and khaps will be held on April 26 at Sisana village in Sonepat.

“The PM gave a patient hearing but our call for a national level protest at Jantar Mantar New Delhi on May 11 has not been withdrawn,” said Nafe Singh Nain, national president of Sarv Jat Khap Panchayat (SKJP), who led various organisations to meet Modi.

The meeting with the PM had not affected their ongoing preparations for the protest and special teams have been visiting various villages of the state to mobilise support for the event.

“Our leaders are forming village, block, subdivision, district and state level committees to fight for our right. We would withdraw our preparations immediately if the government files a review petition in the courts or brings an ordinance in our favour,” said Nain.

Sharing details of the meeting with the PM, he said that the PM had assured them that justice would be done with the Jats. Since the PM has stayed in Haryana for many years, he told us that he knows the problems of our community, he added.

MP threatens to resign if OBC quota gets affected

Kurukshetra MP Rajkumar Saini (in pic) threatened to resign if there was any loss to the reservation quota to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).  He raised objections against Jat reservation and said: “The SC has declared the reservation wrong, so the government should also quash it. If the Jats manage to get reservation by putting pressure on the government, it may lead to a revolt in the country. There is resentment among the OBCs across the country because a section that is sound and holds a good influence is trying to clinch its rights. They have got lands, jobs, ‘chaudhar’ (respect), but they are still begging for reservation,” Saini said. “PM Narendra Modi belongs to backward class and the people of the backward classes have supported him. We lost the parliament and Assembly elections in the Jat dominating regions. Jats didn’t support the BJP in the Assembly election as much as they claim. The party gave 27 tickets to Jat leaders, but only five managed to win. Non Jats have supported the BJP and we are hopeful that there will be no injustice to the backward classes,” he said. “We had Jat chief ministers in the past and every third employee and official of a government department is a Jat. Before giving reservation, counting should be done,” the MP added.