Mission accomplished: How govt convinced Jat leaders to call off their quota agitation

In a major breakthrough, the Centre and Haryana government successfully convinced the Jats to call off their quota agitation scheduled for Monday in the national capital.

With a strategy to deal the issue in a speedy manner, the union government pressed its two Union Ministers Birender Singh and PP Chaudhary, who also represented the Jat community, along with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to take out a solution for longstanding demands of the community.

According to sources, the government did not want to repeat a situation which had created bedlam three decades ago in 1988 when Bharatiya Kisan Union leaders had seized the India Gate with lakh of supporters to press their demand.

"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.

Appeal to the people that they should cooperate to maintain peace and harmony: Haryana CM #JatAgitation pic.twitter.com/N2z0vZaDSX

— ANI (@ANI_news) March 19, 2017

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 government will now work according to the law and will undertake a survey and check ground realities so that the decision that we finally take will stand in court," P P Chaudhary," Minister of State for Law and Justice said. 

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