Jat quota row: Western Railways cancels 4 train as agitation continues

Western Railway on Friday announced that several trains that were to depart on Saturday towards the northern parts of the country stood cancelled because of the agitation by the Jat community in Haryana.

The agitators have blocked railway lines at several stretches between Sampla and Kharawar and Rohtak Junction and Gohana station of Delhi Division of Northern Railway. 

The trains cancelled for Saturday are the 19023 Mumbai Central- Firozpur Janta Express, the 12925 Bandra Terminus-Amritsar Paschim Express, the 12473 Ahmedabad- Shri  Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Sarvodaya Express and 12919 Indore-Jammu Tavi Malwa Express. 

Meanwhile, the government has rushed Army to nine location in the state, including Rohtak, Jind, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Hissar, Kaithal, Sonepat, Panipat and Karnal, to contain the situation. 

The strike, into the sixth day on Friday, has crippled road and rail traffic across the state and shut down educational institutions in many places.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had earlier in the day appealed to agitators to maintain law and order and a peaceful atmosphere in the state while chairing an all party meet to discuss the ongoing Jats reservation strike in Jhajjar and Rohtak. 

The pro-reservation protests by Jats in Haryana had turned violent on Thursday, with several people being injured and reports of clashes between protesters and police personnel in Rohtak.