Jat Deadline On Quota Ends Today, Security Tightened In Haryana Towns

by mymazaa.com

On Monday, Jat leaders had threatened to resume their agitation for quotas which saw widespread violence across the state last month. "The state government has time till March 17. So far, the government has not responded to any of our demands," said Hawa Singh Sangwan, President, Akhil Bhartiya Jat Mahasabha.

Prohibitory orders banning large groups have been imposed in Jind. Colleges are closed till tomorrow in Jind and Rohtak, the epicentre of last month's protests.

The state government has asked for 80 companies of paramilitary forces from the Centre to maintain law and order.

"Government will not buckle under any deadline pressure," Haryana minister Anil Vij told NDTV, adding that the government was committed to bring in a Jat reservation bill.

That bill is unlikely to be introduced in the state assembly today. "We are working on the technical issues of the bill," Mr Vij said.

As part of the bill, the Jats along with four other communities - Bishnoi, Jat Sikh, Rode and Tyagi - will be given 10 percent reservation under the special Other Backward Classes (OBC) category that is being created by the ML Khattar-led BJP government.

Mr Khattar has assured that the existing 27 percent quota for OBCs will remain untouched.

The Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, which is spearheading the quota protests, has also demanded withdrawal of cases against those booked for rioting and arson during the violent protests last month.

The Haryana police was severely criticised for its "failure" to prevent and control the violence that swept the state during the Jat agitation last month, in which 30 people were killed and over 200 were injured.

Jats in Haryana have been demanding the benefits of affirmative action for years. The previous Congress government had announced "Special Backward Caste" for the community in 2013, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court stalled the move last year.

The Supreme Court has rejected the inclusion of Jats in the Centre's OBC list on the ground that the National Commission of Backward Castes does not consider them socially and economically backward in Haryana.