Jat stir continues; Yashpal Malik hits out at Haryana govt

The Jat agitation in Haryana seeking reservation in education and government jobs among other demands today entered its 19th day, even as the key leader of the body spearheading the current stir, Yashpal Malik, questioned the sincerity of the state government in resolving the issue.
Sit-ins and dharnas continued in many places across the state which remained peaceful, officials said.
Addressing protesters at some dharna sites today, Malik said, "what is the purpose of holding talks when the government is not willing to talk with an open mind? They do not seem to be sincere in resolving the issue. The Chief Minister and his ministers are giving out statements which is not helping the situation".

Malik is president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) spearheading the agitation.
"They have said that cases (against Jat youths) will not be withdrawn. Now, we will decide the future course of action on February 19, the day when Balidan Divas will be observed," he said.
The day would be observed as 'Balidan Divas' at different places in the country in the memory of those who lost their lives during last year's agitation, he said.

In Gurugram today, there was high drama when some Jat leaders, who are not part of Malik's group, arrived in a meeting claiming that they had been invited to hold parleys with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to resolve the issue.

The Jat leaders including R S Dahiya claimed that Gurugram's Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner had told them they had been invited to attend the meeting to be presided over by the Chief Minister.
However, the BJP workers present at the venue asked the Jat leaders to leave, saying it was a party workers' meeting, Dahiya told reporters.
"We reached the venue after being duly invited for the same. We received telephone calls from Gurugram Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner to attend the meeting. But when we reached there, we were told that it is a BJP workers' meeting. We did not want to create a scene and left the spot after submitting a charter of our demands," Dahiya said.

Embarrassed at the development, the government sought to clarify the incident.
Chief Minister's Media Advisor, Amit Arya admitted that some Jat leaders had turned up "because of some communication gap (on part of officials who invited them). We admit that there was some communication gap. We are investigating how it happened. It was actually a BJP workers' meeting. We requested those who had turned up and they understood. Mr Dahiya who was leading the group gave a memorandum and left the venue".
Even though it was clarified later in the day that the meting in Gurugram was a BJP workers' meeting, which was attended among others by Khattar, his ministers, party MLAs and Union Minister Birender Singh, Malik had said earlier in the day, that AIJASS would stay away from the meeting.

Last month, talks between the protesters and a
five-member committee, which included the Chief Secretary, the Additional Chief Secretary, Home, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) of the state, had remained inconclusive.
Earlier this month, AIJASS had announced that it would lay siege to the national capital from March 20 if their demands for reservation in government jobs and education institutes are not met.
Jat community members have been sitting on dharna in various parts of Haryana since January 29 over their demands.
Besides seeking quota, their demands include release of those jailed during last year's agitation, withdrawal of cases slapped during the protest and government jobs for the kin of those killed and injured while taking part in the stir.

During the stir in February last year, 30 people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged.