Roads blocked, copters drop troops

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, February 20

With the main roads leading to Delhi, Hisar and Jaipur either dug up or blocked by protesters, choppers were used to drop troops at the Police Lines ground early this morning. 

As three Army helicopters made several rounds to drop the personnel, curious residents rushed to their housetops for a better view. The district authorities had to call more troops in the afternoon in view of the large number of protesters who encircled the city.

Though the district authorities imposed a curfew and issued shoot-at-sight orders, people were seen roaming around on two-wheelers. Over a dozen autos were found burnt at various places on the city’s main road. Distraught traders and shopkeepers whose business establishments were set on fire last night were seen assessing their loss. The Army and the police staged a flag march from the Police Lines till the Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) campus where a large numbers of protesters were on dharna. The protesters did not budge despite repeated warnings.  

BJP to issue show-cause notice to Saini 

New Delhi: The BJP has decided to issue a show-cause notice to its Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for speaking against reservation forJats. “The party has taken cognisance of remarks made by Saini and decided to issue him a show-cause notice,” BJP general secretary Anil Jain, who is in charge of Haryana, said. “Saini was asked to refrain from making such statements but he defied the central leadership’s diktat," Jain said at a press meet jointly addressed by Union Ministers Chaudhary Birender Singh and Sanjeev Balyan and Haryana Minister OP Dhankar. TNS

Powergrid puts off recruitment exam

New Delhi: The state-owned transmission utility firm Powergrid has deferred screening test for engineers due to the Jat agitation. The test was originally scheduled for Sunday. “Test stands postponed. Fresh dates will be be announced later,” Powergrid said in a statement. Haryana continued to be on the boil on Saturday as the Jat stir unleashed fresh incidents of violence and arson, in which railway stations,  police stations and some buildings were set ablaze even as the Army had to use choppers to reach parts of the blocked Rohtak district. PTI

Centre keeps tabs; UP, Rajasthan on alert

New Delhi: With Haryana on the boil, the Centre is monitoring developments in the state and has advised UP and Rajasthan Governments to be on alert, as it fears spread of the agitation in other parts too. Sources in the Ministry of Home Affairs while refuting the allegation of Intelligence failure said, “The ministry is keeping a watch on the development in the troubled state and has assured the local administration all possible help.” UP and Rajasthan Governments have been asked to be on alert, as “they might witness a cascading effect of the stir in Haryana,” they said. TNS