Jat quota Bill to be introduced in Haryana Assembly

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 21

A Bill for granting the OBC status to Jats will be introduced in the coming Budget session of the Haryana Assembly, BJP Haryana in-charge Anil Jain said today after a meeting between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Jat leaders.

The government has set up a committee headed by Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu to look into demand of Jats for reservation in Central government jobs. BJP vice-presidents Satpal Malik and Avinash Rai Khanna and Union ministers Mahesh Sharma and Sanjeev Balyan are the other members of the committee headed by Naidu.

Jat leaders who attended the meeting with Rajnath Singh said they have also been assured of action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini within a week for his anti-Jat utterances.

Besides Jain, Union Minister from Uttar Pradesh Sanjeev Baliyan, Subhash Barala and Haryana ministers Capt Abhimanyu and OP Dhankar were among those present in the meeting.

The khap leaders, in unison, ratified the decision taken during the meeting of their delegation with Rajnath Singh.

They said it was decided that the BJP will take action against party MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini immediately after the seven-day of notice served on him expires. A criminal case will be registered against him if the community so desires, the khap leaders claimed.

They claimed that a law to bring the Jat community under the OBC category at the Centre will be enacted in the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament. In Haryana, reservation to Jats would be granted under the Special Other Backward Classes, they said, adding the law in the state will be enacted in the upcoming session of the Assembly.

The khap leaders also appealed to Jat protesters to call off the agitation.

Hooda observes fast at Jantar Mantar

Earlier, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda started his fast at Jantar Mantar in Delhi for ‘peace in the state’. He asked the state government to find amicable solution to reservation issue without delay.

Hooda was joined by Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary.

As violent protests by Jats continued, Haryana Minister Anil Vij earlier made it clear that talks cannot be held with a “mob” and said Jats should form a committee to hold parleys with the state government.