Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday held talks with the agitating Jat leaders from the State on the quota issue ahead of their planned march to Parliament in the national capital, where massive security arrangements have been made by authorities.
Before meeting Mr. Khattar in New Delhi, All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) Chairperson Yashpal Malik said that their protest will be peaceful and they will decide their next course of action after the talks.
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“The protests will be peaceful. For 50 days our protests were peaceful. We have made seven demands and we are here to meet the CM and others with a positive frame of mind,” Mr. Malik said.
“We believe that talks will provide solution to the issues... But we will decide our future course of action based on the outcome of the meeting,” Mr. Malik added.
“If we reach agreement on all issues, I will inform you,” he said when asked whether they will suspend the agitation.
Mr. Malik was accompanied by a group of 60-70 representatives of various khaps (sub-sects) of the Jat community.
Besides Mr. Khattar, Union Cabinet Minister Birender Singh was among those present in the meeting.
In view of the planned march on March 20, prohibitory orders have been clamped in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to stop Jat protesters from entering Delhi and about 24,700 paramilitary personnel have been mobilised to maintain peace. Metro and road transport has been curtailed and several schools have been closed in the national capital.
The AIJASS, which is spearheading the agitation demanding reservations in education and government jobs, has given a call for a march to the national capital to gherao Parliament and to hold dharnas on the Delhi border blocking all highways to press for its demands.
Metro trains will not travel beyond the city’s borders from 11.30 p.m. while 12 stations in Central Delhi will be shut from 8 p.m. till further orders.
As directed by Delhi Police, services will not be available at Yellow Line stations at Gurgaon, Blue Line stations at Noida and Violet Line stations at Faridabad.
Roads like Kamal Ataturk Marg, Safdarjung Road, Kautilya Marg, Kautilaya T Point near Bihar Bhawan, route from Teen Murti to Gole Methi roundabout and Zakir Hussain Road for commuters coming from Nizamuddin to India Gate will be closed from 8 p.m. onwards on March 19.
In an advisory, the Union Home Ministry has said that protesters should be arrested or detained much before they enter Delhi. It also called for disallowing movement of buses carrying the protesters on highways and banning tractor trolley movement.
Internet services have been suspended in many ‘sensitive’ districts of Haryana including in Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat.
Haryana DGP K.P. Singh has said that all highways and other roads passing through the State are open and all security measures have been taken.
Earlier speaking to reporters, Mr. Khattar had said that the State government is committed to resolve the issue.
Besides quota, the Jats have been demanding release of people jailed during last year’s agitation, withdrawal of cases slapped during the protest and government jobs for the next of 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.
A Haryana ministerial panel, led by senior Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, had held talks with the Jats in Panipat on March 16, after which the Minister had said that an agreement had been reached with the Jat community and the deadlock could end soon.
Around 30 people were killed and more than 300 people were injured when a similar agitation by the Jats had resulted in a large-scale violence in Haryana in February 2016.
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