Will launch stir if CBI arrests member: Jat samiti

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Jassia (Rohtak), July 23

The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) has threatened to launch an agitation in case any member of the samiti is arrested by the CBI.

A decision to this effect was taken at a state executive meeting of the samiti held here on Thursday. The samiti also decided to launch a fresh state-wide agitation from August 16 as was announced earlier.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, samiti president Yashpal Malik alleged that the CBI was working at the behest of the government.

“Now, there will be no planning about launching the agitation. The Jat community is ready for agitation and it will start as soon as the CBI arrests any member of the samiti,” he said.

The CBI had recently nabbed Pawan, an activist of the samiti from Jassia village in Rohtak district, in connection with the case of arson and violence at the local residence of Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu during the Jat agitation for grant of reservation in February 2016.

Malik stated that the arrest of Pawan and inclusion of samiti general secretary Ashok Balhara’s name in the CBI chargesheet were wrong.

“The government wants to weaken the Jat agitation by employing such tactics. But it will get strengthened,” he said.

He said that samiti office-bearers of all districts had been directed to keep tabs on the goings-on. The committee of the district in which any samiti member is arrested would launch an agitation there and then. The samiti members of the other districts would follow suit. The Jats of Uttar Pradesh would also support the stir, he added. The samiti leader ruled out any more talks with the government.

Malik alleged that Haryana Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu and Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar had hatched the conspiracy of the Jat quota stir to wrest the Chief Minister’s chair.