Rohtak entry points secured, Jats firm on protest

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, May 31

Security forces set up check points at nine places at Rohtak's entry and exit as Jats threatened to resume their protest for reservation in the state.

The Border Security Force has been deployed on the outskirts of the town where Rapid Action Force is already stationed.

The Haryana Government has set up a Riot Control Room on the 9th floor of Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh.The control room can be reached at 0172-2740390.

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Jats have threatened to resume protest from June 5.

Leaders of the community have called for cancellation of FIRs registered against the community’s youngsters during February's protests .

“We have given the government enough time to honour promises CM Manohar Lal Khattar made to Jats on February 22. But instead of cancelling FIRs against our people, the government is rather instigating people against the Jat community and lodging more cases against us,” said Yashpal Malik, president of the All-India Jat Arakashan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) said recently, calling February’s violence “an accident”.

Having been already critcised for its poor handling of the violent protests that shook the state in February, the state government has promised to prevent a repeat of the event.

By the state government’s own estimates, some 30 people were killed and property worth several crores were damaged in violent Jat protests for reservation in February.

A recent report by a committee set up to inquire into the violence criticised Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s government for its handling of the situation.

Although the state government had passed a Bill for reservation, the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently stayed it.