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Jat reservation stir: Haryana boils, agitation reaches UP, Delhi; toll now 8

Curfew Was Clamped In Six Out Of The Eight Sensitive Districts As Attempts By An Edgy Haryana Government And The Centre To Pacify Jats Failed Miserably.

News Nation Bureau | Edited By : Devika Chhibber | Updated on: 21 Feb 2016, 11:14:33 AM

New Delhi :

The Jat row on Sunday burned Haryana after the agitation spread to Uttar Pradesh and other villages on the outskirts of Delhi.

Curfew was clamped in six out of the eight sensitive districts as attempts by an edgy Haryana government and the Centre to pacify Jats failed miserably.

The agitation is the result of Jat agitators’ adamant on bringing the community under 27% OBC quota, with a 10% share, leaving only 17% for the present OBCs. Else, they wanted reservation for all castes to be dropped.

The agitation also forced the top leaders to meet and discuss the outcome. Union home minister Rajnath Singh held two express meetings, the second one late in the evening where three top ministers – Arun Jaitley, Manohar Parrikar & Sushma Swaraj – and top officials of the security establishment, including Army chief DS Suhag were present.

According to sources, BJP chief Amit Shah has been tasked to speak to influential Jat leaders and win them over.

On Saturday, Jat leaders in large numbers blocked all roads leading to the national capital by erecting barricades and deflating tyres of goods carriers and felling trees

The violent agitators even torched a police station in Mahem, near Rohtak.

Roads leading to Munak canal between Karnal and Sonepat, that supplies about 10% water to Delhi were blocked.

The blockade also resulted in limiting the supply of milk and vegetables to Delhi from Haryana and UP,

Due to blockage, Armymen were para-dropped in Rohtak and Jhajjhar to rein in big mob of rioters.

The Defence also resorted to firing in which, according to Haryana government one person was killed taking the total toll to five.

Protests were witnessed in Rohtak where agitators ransacked and torched petrol pumps, mall and several shops.

House of Haryana finance minister Capt. Abhimanyu was also set on fire despite the fact that the leader belonged to Jat community.

In Next two days, the agitation will be intensified. According to Yashpal Malik, an influential Jat leader and national president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), “All Jat leaders in UP, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have agreed to block roads peacefully in their respective villages and towns in support of Jats of Haryana.”

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First Published : 21 Feb 2016, 08:01:00 AM

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