Shouldn’t have held talks with Malik, says K’shetra BJP MP

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh/Kurukshetra, March 20

A day after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar brokered peace with Jats, BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini today questioned the wisdom of holding a joint press conference with Jat leader Yashpal Malik when his men were attacking the police in Fatehabad.

“If governments become so timid that they keep begging for peace even when its police force is beaten up, who could people look up to for their safety and security?” he questioned. “Being part of the ruling party, I just want to ask the state government that if the matters that are pending before courts are to be decided by a show of strength on roads, how will people have faith in justice?” said Saini.

He said he was astonished that while the Supreme Court had already rejected reservation for the Jats and the High Court was yet to give its verdict, assurance has been given to Malik that the government would include this in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution after the court verdict. “Given the fact that inclusion in the Ninth Schedule involves several surveys and approval by the President, shall we assume that those who gave this assurance to Malik are bigger than Parliament and the President?” he questioned.

The MP alleged that due to the weakness shown by the government, Malik had been behaving as law unto himself.

He said though khap panchayats had already discarded Malik, he had been thriving by misleading youth like those who attacked the police and mediapersons in Fatehabad yesterday.

He said Mailk had several cases pending against him in Haryana and his team had created an atmosphere of insecurity by holding protests across the state.

The MP said Malik should have been taken into custody and not allowed to hold meeting with the government. A section of the bureaucracy was working to mislead the CM to ensure supremacy of a particular caste, he alleged.

Saini demanded the state government to release caste-wise population data and their respective share in the government jobs.

“Rights of constitutionally recognised OBCs cannot be allowed to be infringed under ‘arm twisting’ tactics of a section of society,” he said.