Jat leader Malik faces oppn from within

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 19

Facing opposition from within his own community in the state and receiving hardly any support from Haryana’s political leaders, Jat leader and AIJASS president Yashpal Malik is looking at “resurrecting” himself with the November 26 programme in Rohtak’s Jassia. However, unlike his last agitation to press for OBC status to Jats, re-establishing his clout will be an uphill task for Malik .

Being up against rivals leading various factions of Jats, sarpanches from villages in Rohtak block have announced to boycott the bhoomi poojan programme to establish a state-level coaching institute-cum-skill development centre named after Deenbandhu Sir Chhotu Ram.

While former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has refused to participate in the programme, Malik confirmed that union minister Birender Singh, too, had sent in his refusal while the main opposition party, the INLD , is undecided whether to attend Malik’s programme or not. “I am currently abroad and will be back on November 22 after which the senior party leadership will take a call on the invite from Malik ,” senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala said.

Malik, too, is hopeful of turning this event into a show of strength and sending out a message that he still wields clout. “We have invited all Jat leaders and there is nothing political about a bhoomi poojan. We are expecting a number of leaders to show up. As far as the collections during the last agitation go, the details are available with the district committees,” he said, dismissing the opposition from sarpanches and other quarters who have raised their voice against Malik.

As Malik goes about garnering support for his November 26 function, sarpanches led by Sumit Arya of Makrauli village are going about propagating otherwise. “We stood by Malik right through the agitation earlier this year. However, he seems to be wanting political mileage to further his own agenda by setting up this institute in Jassia for which he has purchased land with the donations that came in during the agitation,” Arya said.

He claimed that the four issues of bringing to book those responsibile for instigating violence in the 2016 agitation, dropping cases against members of the Jat community registered after the violence, action against leaders like BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini and Roshan Lal Arya for their vitriolic speeches and ensuring reservation for the Jat have taken a backseat.

“Malik is celebrating Sir Chhotu Ram’s jayanti on November 26 when it falls on November 24 while Raj Kumar Saini is holding a programme to mark social reformer Jyotirao Phuley’s death anniversary which falls on November 28 on November 26 in Jind. We smell a rat with both leaders choosing the same day. They have no clash of interest since one will consolidate Jats and the other will consolidate non-Jats. We are going to villages asking the villagers to shun both programmes,” Arya said.

Yash Garg, DC , Rohtak, said the administration was keeping a close watch on the developments with regard to the November 26 programme.

Malik speaks

AIJASS president Yashpal Malik has said  members of the samiti would meet in the first week of December to chalk out the future course of action against the Manohar lal Khattar-led BJP government in Haryana which was yet to fulfil a number of promises made during the “settlement” in March. 

‘Nothing political’

We have invited all Jat leaders and there is nothing political about a bhoomi poojan. We are expecting a number of leaders to show up. — Yashpal Malik, president, aijass

‘Wants political mileage’

Malik seems to be wanting political mileage to further his own agenda by setting up this institute in Jassia for which he has purchased land with the donations that came in during the  agitation. — Sumit Arya, sarpanch, Makrauli village