Jat agitation: Arson, violence continue unchecked; hope from meeting with Home Minister : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

HARYANA HORROR / LIVE UPDATES

Jat agitation: Arson, violence continue unchecked; hope from meeting with Home Minister

CHANDIGARH: Arson and violence continued unabated in parts of Haryana on Sunday amidst hope from a positive meeting between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Jat leaders in New Delhi. The situation across the state, however, was yet to show signs of improvement with leaderless youth continuing to burn properties unchecked and blocking highways as well as minor roads.

Jat agitation: Arson, violence continue unchecked; hope from meeting with Home Minister

Jat agitators block the Panchkula-Shimla highway, NH-5, at Old Panchkula traffic lights on Sunday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal



Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

Arson and violence continued unabated in parts of Haryana on Sunday amidst hope from a positive meeting between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Jat leaders in New Delhi. The situation across the state, however, was yet to show signs of improvement with leaderless youth continuing to burn properties unchecked and blocking highways as well as minor roads.

A Bill for granting OBC status to Jats will be introduced in the coming Budget session of the Haryana Assembly, BJP Haryana in-charge Anil Jain said after a meeting between Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Jat leaders.

Jat leaders said that they had also been promised action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini within a week for his anti-Jat utterances.

An immediate halt to the agitation from the seemingly positive talks remained a moot question as a large number of youth without any coordinated leadership were marauding equally in cities and small towns, as well as highways and minor roads. However, road blocks in Palwal were removed after the talks.

There were a few major incidents of arson on Sunday also, including the burning of a police post at Kalanaur and a railway station. Popular dhabas along GT Road in Murthal were vandalised.

Yet another town, Kaithal, was brought under curfew on Sunday afternoon, as the death toll in the Jat reservation agitation mounted to at least 10, with four more people succumbing to injuries overnight.

Kaithal is the ninth Haryana town where curfew has been imposed, the others being Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Hisar, Hansi, Sonepat and Gohana town of Sonipat district.

Read: 

Road and rail traffic remained paralysed as essential supplies, including fuel, milk and vegetables, were severely hit. ATMs were also running out of cash, official sources said. Markets have remained shut in most towns.

The water supply to Delhi, disrupted since Friday night, has not yet been restored, creating a crisis in the National Capital.

Spiralling violence today claimed two more lives taking the overnight death toll to 12 as over 150 others have been injured so far, Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) PK Das said.

One death was reported in a firing incident from Akbarpur-Barota, near Munak canal in Sonepat, while another person died in a clash between two groups at Hansi, Das told reporters.

The Centre has sent additional 1,700 paramilitary personnel to deal with the situation.

With public transport in Haryana severely hit, the Civil Aviation Ministry has asked airlines to operate additional flights from Delhi to Chandigarh, Amritsar and Jaipur to enable stranded people reach their destinations. There are reports of airlines massively jacking up ticket prices in view of the rush.


LIVE UPDATES: Violence/arson/disruptions

SONEPAT: Troops of the Rapid Action Force airdropped on the OP Jindal University campus grounds in 10 sorties.

KURUKSHETRA: MP Raj Kumar Saini appeals for peace and harmony in Haryana on his Facebook page.

KARNAL: Protesters block NH-1 near Kohand village.

KAITHAL: Several roads blocked in district. Tent erected in middle of Hisar-Ambala highway.

SONEPAT: College owned by an MP and a hotel vandalised in Sonepat; rice mill set on fire.

BHIWANI: Number of buses set ablaze at Tosham.

BHIWANI: BJP MP Dharambir’s house vandalised.

CHANDIGARH: Zirakpur-Shimla highway blocked. Weekend rush to Shimla causes massive jam.

REWARI: Highway blocked, disrupting traffic.

PANIPAT: Railway station vandalised at Ganaur; booking office and Station Master's room damaged.

SONEPAT: Violence reported in Gohana, where a mob set on fire several shops, two buses and two motorcycles.

BHIWANI: Protesters late last night set on fire an ATM and burnt official records of a cooperative bank in Loharu.

BHIWANI: Police chowkis in Mundal and Kharak set on fire.

HISAR: Nine districts are under Army's control as 73 columns have been deployed across Haryana, said Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan, Corps Commander of South Western Command.

ROHTAK: Unruly mob set police station, petrol pump, several shops and vehicles on fire at Kalanaur town

JHAJJAR: Chhotu Ram Dharmshala set on fire; Rao Tula Ram’s statue vandalised, Ahirs start gathering to protest the incident.

REWARI: Non-Jats burn effigies of Jat ministers Birender Singh, Capt Abhimanyu and OP Dhankar.

FARIDABAD: Clash between protesters and police on NH-2 near Ballabgarh; vehicles damaged, journalists beaten up by police.

GURGAON: City staring at water crisis; district administration appeal for judicious use, claiming just a day's reserve supply left.

GURGAON: A railway halt room at Basai Dhankot set on fire, police claim the room was set afire by a drunkard.

KARNAL: Several roads leading to city blocked by protesters, vehicles heading towards Delhi being diverted via Meerut road.

KARNAL: More than 20 foreign scientists and around 1,000 scientists and farmers from all over the country are stranded in city. They had come here to participate in 44th International Dairy Conference at NDRI.

ROHTAK: Traders and shopkeepers of Quila road market shift their valuable items to safer places.


Rohtak IG transferred

The state government on Saturday shifted IG of Rohtak Range Sirikant Jadhav without assigning any reason for the transfer.

The districts of Rohtak and Jhajjar, which have been badly affected by the stir, fall in Rohtak Range. The office of IG, Rohtak Range, was also vandalised by the protesters.

“The Haryana government has appointed Sirikant Jadhav, IG of Rohtak Range as IG, State Crime Record Bureau, Madhuban, with immediate effect," an official communique said.

No officer has been appointed in place of Jadhav.

Violence on Saturday

Flag marches by the Army notwithstanding, arsonists had a field day on Saturday, looting and setting shops and business establishments on fire and blocking roads and rail tracks. Two persons were killed and 10, including policemen, were injured in a cross-fire between protesters and Army personnel in Jhajjar. The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital.

An unruly mob went on the rampage setting the Jhajjar police station, BDO office, PWD rest house, Roadways buses and PRO’s jeep on fire. The mob threw stones at the residence of Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar.

Choppers drop troops

As the protesting Jats last night dug up roads to prevent the troops from entering Rohtak, the Army on Saturday used choppers to drop troops at the Rohtak Police Lines. Army sources said all main roads leading to Rohtak from Delhi, Hisar and Jaipur had been dug up. Despite a flag march in the city, the protesters, mostly students on a dharna in front of the MDU gates, refused to budge.

The civil authorities had on Friday requisitioned Army troops for nine violence-hit districts

Notice to Kurukshetra MP

A show-cause notice has been issued to Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini, who has been issuing statements against reservation for the Jats. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked his MLAs to leave for their constituencies and speak with the protesters to end the impasse. The Chief Minister's CM's Barara rally, scheduled for Sunday, has been cancelled.

The Indian National Lok Dal has demanded President’s rule, holding the BJP responsible for the chaos.

With PTI inputs

Top News

'When government changes...': Rahul Gandhi after Rs 1,800 crore fresh I-T notice to Congress

'When government changes...': Rahul Gandhi after Rs 1,800 crore fresh I-T notice to Congress

The Congress leader accuses the BJP of indulging in ‘tax ter...

Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in UP's Banda orders judicial inquiry into death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari

UP court orders judicial probe into gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s death, seeks report in a month

Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari on Tuesday alleged that his brother...

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

Eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh are among the poorest regions...

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

22 educational institutions were on CBI radar in the scholar...


Cities

View All