Agitators block water line to Delhi * Petrol pumps, malls torched * Minister's house too set on fire
The simmering Jat agitation in Haryana turned violent on Saturday and assumed bigger proportions with curfew being clamped in six out of the eight sensitive districts and entering into parts of Uttar Pradesh and Jat-dominated villages on the outskirts of Delhi.
Attempts by an edgy Haryana government and the Centre to pacify Jats failed miserably for want of an acceptable leader of the community in their ranks. The agitators were adamant on bringing them under 27% OBC quota, with a 10% share, leaving only 17% for the present OBCs. Else, they wanted reservation for all castes to be dropped.
The dangerous spread of the agitation forced union home minister Rajnath Singh to hold two express meetings, the second one late in the evening where three top ministers – Arun Jaitley, Manohar Parrikar & Sushma Swaraj – and top officials of the security establishment, including Army chief DS Suhag were present.
Sources said BJP chief Amit Shah has been tasked to speak to influential Jat leaders and win them over.
Coming out of the villages in large numbers, members of Jat community blocked all roads leading to the national capital by erecting barricades by deflating tyres of goods carriers and felling trees.
A tour by dna through villages along Jhajjhar-Bahadurgarh-Sonepat belt showed that agitation has spread to all villages as youth in every village blocked all entry and exit points.
As the Jat-dominated Haryana police refused to quell the unrest, the agitators had a field day and even torched a police station in Mahem, near Rohtak.
Agitators blocked Munak canal between Karnal and Sonepat, that supplies about 10% water to Delhi and blocked supply of milk and vegetables to Delhi from Haryana and UP.
Maruti Suzuki plants announced temporary suspension of manufacture of cars at its facilities in Manesar and Gurgaon from Saturday for want to spare parts that come from Rohtak and nearby areas.
As all roads were blocked, Army had to be para-dropped in Rohtak and Jhajjhar to rein in big mob of rioters. To control the rampaging mob that torched shops and vehicles, Army had to resort to firing in which, according to Haryana government one person was killed taking the total toll to four. However, informal sources said five people were killed in Army firing in Jhajjhar on Saturday alone.
In Rohtak, agitators ransacked and torched petrol pumps, mall and several shops. They even set the house of Haryana finance minister Capt. Abhimanyu, who belongs to Jat community, on fire.
Threatening to intensify agitation to other states, Yashpal Malik, an influential Jat leader and national president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), told dna that all Jat leaders in UP, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have agreed to block roads peacefully in their respective villages and towns in support of Jats of Haryana.
"You would see this happening in the next two days in all the north Indian states," warned Malik.
By evening agitators had blocked roads connecting Delhi and Haryana in Baghpat and Shamli towns of western UP.
Malik said, the community does not have any faith in Haryana CM's promises and would withdraw agitation only when Haryana government promulgates an ordinance to give reservation to Jats and sends it to the Centre for immediate ratification.
"The time to wait is over now. It has to be done on an urgent basis or else face the consequences," added Malik.
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