Jats put off Feb 15 protest

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Jind, February 9

The Jat community today decided to put off its proposed February 15 ‘rasta roko’ agitation after a meeting with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

In a bid to mollify the Jat community, the state government today formed a four-member committee comprising DS Dhesi, Chief Secretary; TC Gupta, Principal Secretary, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes; Devender Singh, Principal Secretary (Industries), and a representative of the Haryana Advocate General to examine the issue in detail. The committee will submit its report by March 31.

“We have postponed our agitation till March end, as the Chief Minister assured us that necessary steps will be taken to provide reservation to the Jat community,” said Raghuvir Nain, Samasth Jat Samaj Sangathan (SJSS) leader.

However, official sources said there was no categorical assurance from the CM. They said Khattar only stated that the state government was with every person irrespective of the community.

Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu, Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi, Chief Secretary DS Dhesi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister RK Khullar and Additional Director General of Police (CID) Shatrujeet Kapoor represented the government, while Sube Singh Sumain, Nafe Singh Nain, Dharmpal Chhot, Chandi Ram and Randhir Saroha represented the SJJS.

On December 23, prominent Jat leaders formed the SJJS to spearhead the Jat agitation. On February 7, the SJSS leaders announced in Narwana to “seal” all major points in the state as part of the agitation.

Other Jat bodies stick to stir plan

Bhiwani: Hawa Singh Sangwan, president, Sangwan faction of the All-Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, said today that his supporters would participate in the February 12 agitation at Mayyar village in Hisar district as announced earlier. Alleging the government was playing politics with the Jat bodies, Sangwan said they would not get swayed by the divide and rule tactics of the government. He said if the state government was serious about the Jat quota issue, it should make sure it was done at the earliest.

Hisar: Denying any negotiations with the state government, the other faction of the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti headed by Yashpal Malik has also decided to start the quota agitation from Mayyar village on the designated days. While the Sangwan group is scheduled to organise a rally in Mayyar on February 12, the Malik faction will hold a dharna in the village on February 21. Rambhagat Malik, spokesperson of Malik faction, said the Jat leaders who met the CM had vested interests. 

Jhajjar: The factionalism among the Jat leaders surfaced yet again on Tuesday when Om Prakash Dhankar, chief of the Haryana Dhankar Khap and general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, said their stir would be held as per the schedule. He said all prominent Jat leaders would attend the state-level rally slated for February 12 at Mayyar village in Hisar district. He said those who announced to postpone the campaign after meeting the Chief Minister in Chandigarh had nothing to do with the interests of the Jat community.