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Jat stir enters 7th day, remains peaceful

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Press Trust of India Hisar
The ongoing Jat quota agitation in Haryana today entered its seventh day but no untoward incident was reported from anywhere, officials said here.

Amid elaborate security arrangements, the Jats held dharnas at several locations in the state which remained peaceful, they said.

The call for the fresh stir has been given by some Jat outfits, especially those owing allegiance to All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti headed by Yashpal Malik.

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said earlier that government accepted the demand of the Jats to give jobs to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the agitation last year and process has been initiated for the same.
 

Meanwhile, Malik, joined the Jat reservation dharna near rail tracks on Hisar-Rewari line in Hisar district's Ramayan village and called for peace and harmony.

He exhorted the agitators not to disrupt rail and road traffic.

Malik, however, said the dharnas in Haryana would continue till the government accepted their demands.

"If the government fails to consider the demands by February 11, the samiti would increase the number of dharnas in each district from February 12," he threatened.

Malik accused the government of betraying the community by not keeping the promises it made with the Samiti earlier.

He said Jats were willing to wait for reservation since the matter was sub judice, but they want all other demands to be accepted immediately.

Referring to government accepting the demand of providing jobs to victims' families, Malik said the Samiti would oppose any move if government gives jobs to them on contract basis.

Notably, in the fresh round of Jat stir, paramilitary forces are out in sensitive areas in Haryana while heavy police force has been deployed to maintain strict vigil, as the stir entered its seventh day.

During a similar stir a year ago, there were 30 deaths and widespread destruction of property. This time, Haryana has been put on maximum alert, officials said.

Notably, Rohtak and some of its neighbouring districts, including Sonipat and Jhajjar had been worst-hit by the violence which broke out during last year's Jat stir.

Apart from the quota demand, the agitators are demanding release of arrested Jat youths from jails, withdrawal of cases registered during last year's agitation and grant of government jobs to the kin of youths killed and those injured during the earlier stir and action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini over his alleged anti-Jat rants.
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Meanwhile, Haryana's main opposition party INLD today came out in open support of the agitating Jats.

Leader of Opposition and INLD's senior leader Abhay Singh Chautala, along with senior leaders of his party, went to various dharna sites in Rohtak, Sonepat and Jind districts and announced his party's support to the Jats.

Chautala demanded that the government should fulfill the demands raised by the Jats.

He said that INLD will raise the issue in the budget session of Haryana Assembly which begins from February 27 at Chandigarh.

He claimed that Jat leaders belonging to BJP and the Congress were only interested in making newspaper headlines by giving statements on the ongoing stir issue from their homes.

"If they have real concerns with the demands raised by them (the Jats), then they should come and sit with them at the dharna sites," Chautala said.

He also appealed to the agitators not to lend an ear to any kind of rumours and further told them to hold their stir in a peaceful manner and maintain peace and brotherhood.

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First Published: Feb 04 2017 | 5:57 PM IST

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