Govt serious on Jat quota: Malik

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, February 18

All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) president Yashpal Malik today told a gathering of Jats that the state government would soon the fulfil the demand for reservation.

“The government has approved the grant of reservation to Jats,” he said during a Balidan Divas function in the district’s Jassia village.

The function was organised in the memory of Jat youths killed during the quota agitation in February 2016.

Malik explained to the gathering the recent agreement with the state government, because of which the AIJASS called off its agitation on February 15.

He later told the media, “The government is serious on reservation. The BJP has assured that our concerns will be addressed in a time-bound manner. We hope that the party keeps its word.”

On being asked about the time frame for the acceptance of their demands, he said there were different deadlines for different demands. “The government is on the job to fulfil the demands.”

He reiterated that certain ministers had incited violence during the Jat quota agitation in February 2016 as the BJP rule wanted to create a caste divide in the state to further their vested interests.

“The 2016 agitation was a handiwork of an uncle of Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Dhankar and some khap leaders. BJP leader Manish Grover, who was later made the Minister of State for Cooperatives, was also involved in the conspiracy,” Malik alleged.

He asked Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu to withdraw cases registered in connection with the arson and violence at his Rohtak residence and other premises.

Malik added, “The agitation will be re-launched if the demands are not met.”

Meanwhile, a word of warning 

Sonepat: All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti president Yashpal Malik on Sunday threatened to start an indefinite agitation if there was delay in fulfilling the demands, including reservation. He was addressing participants in Balidan Divas event organised near Lath-Joli villages in the district. Malik asked them to keep their tractor-trolleys ready as these might be required in the future. As a precautionary measure, 10 companies of paramilitary forces were deployed in Gohana. oc