The agitation over Jat reservation on Sunday spread from Haryana to western Uttar Pradesh, where the community is a dominant economic and political player. Taking out protests in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Bijnore, Mathura, Shamli and other places, Jat leaders burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar.
Anger prevailed in Jat-dominated areas after several protesters from the community were killed during demonstrations in Haryana, as several Jat organisations took to the streets in U.P. protesting against the killings.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police, Javed Ahmad, on Sunday morning alerted western U.P. police officials and directed them to be in touch with protesting leaders.
In Meerut, Jat leaders blocked National Highway 58 and gheraoed the house of BJP MP Rajendar Agarwal, who later assured the protesters that he would talk to the Prime Minister regarding their demands.
In Muzaffarnagar, protesters surrounded the residence of Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balian. In Baghpat, protestors stopped trains and blocked the Yamuna Expressway at several points. As the Army crackdown against protests in Haryana grew stronger over the weekend, Jats closed off the Delhi-U.P. Apsara Border in Ghaziabad for two hours and also threatened to seal the Sonipat border in Baghpat district if the Khattar government did not accept their demands for reservation.
In Shamli district, leaders of various khap panchayats blocked crucial highways for several hours even as security was stepped up along the Haryana-U.P. border.
Protestors also blocked the Bhakpa bridge over the Ganges canal and at Shukertal and Shahpur areas in Shamli close to the Haryana-U.P. border.
Superintendent of Police, Shamli, Vijay Bhushan, said the administration was taking every precaution to ensure that the law and order situation remained calm.
“Three units of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) were deployed at Kairana and Bidoli check posts on the U.P.-Haryana inter-State highway,” Mr. Bhushan said.
Bus services on the Panipat-Kairana and Karnal-Shamli routes were completely cut off. Protesters also blocked the Haridwar-Muzaffarnagar road.
