Jats begin agitation; authorities on their toes

Dharna held in Gurugram in support of the community’s indefinite protest seeking fulfilment of promises made last year

Members of the Jat community held a day-long token dharna at the Atul Kataria Chowk here on Sunday.

Organised under the aegis of the Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS), the dharna was held as part of the community’s indefinite agitation started across the State in support of their demands, which includes withdrawal of cases registered against agitators during the protest in February last year. Among their other demands are granting of ex-gratia to the injured, jobs to the next of kin of those killed during the agitation and action against BJP’s Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for making unsavoury remarks against eminent Jat personalities.

Though regular dharnas will not be held in Panchkula, Gurugram and Mewat as these districts are predominantly urbanised, Jat leaders in Gurugram decided to hold a token dharna at the Atul Kataria Chowk to protest against the BJP government’s failure to fulfil demands made to the community leaders last year, and also express support to the agitation.

Extending ‘moral support’

Protesters sat on a dharna for over three hours at the chowk where policemen had been deployed in large numbers. Later, they submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner (Gurugram) Hardeep Singh. “The Jats have played a pivotal rule in building the State. So, we have decided not to hold protests in Gurugram, the financial capital of the State, as it sends out a wrong signal. But, we extend full moral support to agitators across the State,” said Jat leader R.S. Dahiya, general secretary of the Jat Swabhiman Samiti.

The community’s peaceful protest, meanwhile, began in 18 of the remaining 19 districts. The protest in Yamunanagar district will start from the grains market in Jagadhari on January 31. “Our national president Yashpal Malik will hold a meeting with Jat leaders tomorrow [on January 30] and devise a strategy to campaign against the BJP in the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh,” said ABJASS general secretary K.P. Singh Dahiya.

Daily reports sought

The Haryana government, meanwhile, has directed the district authorities to be prepared and ensure that law and order is maintained. Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners have been asked to send situation reports to the Chief Secretary’s office by 2 p.m each day. The authorities have also been directed to ensure the security of critical spots like those supplying drinking water. Also, authorities have been asked to ensure that traffic movement on NH-1 and roadways depot is not affected.

Jhajjar Deputy Commissioner Ramesh Bidhan has directed that mobile service providers suspend Internet services in the district from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day while all liquor shops within a radius of five kilometres from the Jhajjar-Bahadurgarh road would remain shut till further orders.