Dharnas in Haryana to continue for now: AIJASS
Even as Jats have called off their quota-related protest in Delhi scheduled for Monday, their dharnas in different parts of Haryana will continue for now.
All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) chief Yashpal Malik said the ‘Delhi Kooch’ protest to choke the national capital has been called off, trusting the assurances given by two Union ministers, Birender Singh and PP Chaudhary, and chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on their demands.
“They have agreed to fulfil six of our demands. We have left the decision on action against Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for his provocative statements against the Jat community to the BJP,” he told Hindustan Times over phone.
The Jats decided to call off their Delhi protest after their talks with the two Union ministers and Khattar in the national capital. They have been demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, withdrawal of cases registered during last year’s stir, release of youths arrested in such cases, government jobs for kin of those killed, adequate compensation to those injured and action against Saini.
Malik, who is spearheading the Jat quota stir, said the state government has agreed to review all the cases registered during the stir in 2016.
“We have got assurance on quota in central government jobs. The central government will appoint chairman and members of the backward classes commission very soon to take the matter forward. Also, permanent jobs will be given to kin of those killed during last year’s stir,” he said.
On the ongoing protest dharnas (sit-ins) at 29 places across the state, the AIJASS chief said the protests will continue at 20 places till March 26.
“I will travel to each one of these till March 25. A meeting will be held on March 26 to decide whether or not to continue our protests thereafter,” he said.
The Jats had resumed their quota stir with dharnas at 19 places on January 29 and have continued their protest eversince, increasing the number of protest sites last month.
The agitation, which saw unprecedented violence in half a dozen districts of the state in February 2016, has been largely peaceful this time.