Jats Leaders called off their quota agitation
NEW DELHI : Jats called off their quota agitation scheduled for Monday in the national capital, following a truce that was reached after a meeting between the leaders of the community and the Haryana government on Sunday.
Jat leaders decided to call off their agitation after a marathon four-hour meeting with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and two Union Ministers Birender Singh and PP Chaudhary who both are Jats.
“Centre and state will soon begin the process of giving reservation, following the Delhi High court order,” Khattar told reporters in a joint press conference along with All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) Chairperson Yashpal Malik.
He also appealed to people in the state to cooperate in maintaining peace and harmony. “Ab Jat Dilli na aa rahe (Now Jats are not coming to Delhi). We have called off our agitation and march towards Delhi. The state government has agreed to our demands,” Malik told reporters after the meeting. He added that the community will call off its dharna from most of the places in the state, barring few where it will continue with symbolic protests.
Besides quotas, the Jats have been demanding release of people jailed during last year’s agitation, withdrawal of cases slapped during the protests and government jobs for the kin of those killed and injured while taking part in the stir. The Jats have been sitting on dharna in various parts of Haryana since January 29.
The Jats had a discussion with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Delhi, though, has made massive preparations for security. While metro service outside the city limits will not be stopped, security at the border and the heart of Delhi, the New Delhi district, will continue as a precautionary measure.
Led by the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti, the Jat community had planned a massive protest in the national capital, including a “siege” to the Parliament House complex.
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After the meeting, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the quota process will be initiated at the Centre after the chairman for backward class is elected. The government, he said, will reconsider the cases filed against Jat protesters and investigation will be held against the police officers accused of excesses.
Jat leader Yashpal Maik said, “We hope that CM will fulfil our five demands and that we will get justice… we have confidence in the Haryana government”.
Four police officers were injured in Haryana’s Fatehabad district as they tried to stop a group pf Jats from moving towards Delhi. The clash took place on the Sirsa-Hisar-Delhi highway when the protesters were stopped. A senior officer was among the police personnel injured.The Delhi Police has decided to shut down key routes, including entry points, in the city as a precautionary measure.
The Central Board of Secondary Education or CBSE has advised students appearing for the Classes 10 and 12 Board exams to reach their exam centres well before the scheduled time.
The Jat agitation, which began on January 29, completed 49 days on Saturday. The stir for quota in jobs and education – a matter that has remained unresolved over the last decade — drew thousands of protesters to Delhi earlier this month.
The protesters have also asked for jobs for the families of those had died last year, the withdrawal of cases against Jats and the action against police officers who were involved.
The latest round of protests started after talks between the Haryana government and Jat leaders on the withdrawal of cases linked to February 2016 agitation hit a roadblock. The state had made it clear that it has no jurisdiction to withdraw cases being investigated by the CBI.
Last year in June, the Jats had called off their two-week protest after the Haryana government had assured them that demands would be looked into. The protesting Jats had given the state government time till August 31 to resolve the issues.
In February 2016, 30 people had died and more than 200 were injured in several districts of Haryana as the protesters had resorted to clashes and arson. Government and private property worth hundreds of crores of rupees were damaged.
