Leaderless youth acting on rumours; Haryana DGP appeals to elders to step in

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 20

Admitting failure of the local administration in Rohtak to contain the violent Jat agitation on Friday, the state DGP, YP Singhal, on Saturday appealed to all Khaps and Jat community elders to assert control on the youth to prevent the situation from turning worse.

The state police chief said the violence was mainly being carried out by leaderless youths instigated by false rumours, even as more were seen moving to towards cities across the state.  He said there was a possibility of people from outside Haryana being among the agitators.

Singhal appealed to khaps not to hold any meeting till normally returned.

However, the DGP claimed the situation was better on Saturday than Friday. “Our priority is to control law and order through flag marches,” he said.

Thus far one person was reported dead and 78 injured at the PGI, Rohtak. Of these, five had been admitted in the ICU, the DGP said.

Singhal said the situation was dynamic. The police and administration had tried to sort out issues through dialogue, but that failed.

He said 129 cases had been registered in which five persons had been arrested.
The Haryana Police chief said they were not dependent entirely on the Army; rather the troops had been called in the aid of the police. The Army would work on the directions of the administration, he added.