The ongoing Jat agitation in Haryana seeking reservation in education and government jobs spilt over into the national capital today, with scores of community members staging a protest in northwest Delhi's Ghevra Mod on Rohtak Road.
The agitators, under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Jat Arakash Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS), raised slogans and handed over a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister to the authorities.
The organisation had last week announced holding a series of protests in Delhi's border areas in support of the quota agitation by Jats in Rohtak which remained peaceful so far.
"We are holding peaceful protest in Delhi in support of reservation for Jats and those agitating in Haryana over the issues. Similar protests will be held in border areas of Delhi including at Loni Border (February 12) and Bawana (February 14)," said Yashpal Malik, president of ABJASS.
The protests by Jats in border areas of Delhi assume significance in view of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election.
Over 100 seats in West UP go to polls on February 11 and February 15.
Municipal elections in Delhi likely to be held in April.
The demonstrators have demanded the Centre and the Haryana government release Jat youths in jail for violent agitation in Haryana in February 2016, and compensation and jobs to families that lost their members in the agitation.
Earlier, the Jats held protests in Narela and Mahipalpur areas in Delhi raising similar demands.
The memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged "injustice and atrocities" against Jats by the Haryana government and sought his intervention for fulfilling the promises made with the community with regard to providing them benefits of reservation.
"We are supporting the demands of Jats to be included in OBC category and provided reservation benefits. So far we have adopted peaceful methods expecting that the government will listen to us. The agitation will continue and we will extend support to the community members raising the reservation demand in other states too," Malik said.
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