Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Haryana to withdraw 70 FIRs, Jats adamant on disrupting Shah’s rally

HEAD ON AIJASS chief dares govt to impose Section 144 and mobile internet ban during protests

- HT Correspond­ent letterschd@hindustant­imes.com

R OH T AK: Even as the Ha ryan a government announced to withdraw 70 cases against Jats registered during the February 2016 quota stir, All India J at Ar a ks han Sangharsh S ami ti( AI J ASS) president Yashpal Malik on Wednesday said they will go ahead with their plan to disrupt B JP national president Am it Shah’s Jind rally on February 15.

At a meeting of the AIJASS core committee in Rohtak’s Jassia village, the Jat leader dared the government to impose Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure( Cr PC) and ban mobile internet as always in view of the Jat protests.

“With drawing some cases will not make any difference. The government needs to withdraw all cases andfulfil all other demands it had agreed to twice during our meetings. If they don’t, we are prepared to take our tractor-trailers to choke Jind during Am it Shah’s rally. The BJP president needs to know how the government is betraying the J at community ,” Mali ks aid.

The Jat leader also asked the state and central government to set a deadline for introducin­g Jat quota in Haryana. “In Haryana, the matter is pending in the high court and at Centre, the bill is pending in the Lok Sabha. We have got nothing except assurances ,” Mali ks aid.

He asked the volunteers to ensure to fill the fuel tanks of their tractor-trailers in advance as the government could impose a ban on filling diesel in tractors in view of the protests.

“We will clog all roads in Jind with tractors. We will go to him and ask as why their government is betraying our community,” Malik said.

The protest call by the J at community has made the state BJP nervous, as it planned to welcome Shah with a rally comprising over 1 lakh motorcycle­s.

Recently, chief minister Man ohar Lal Khattar said no one will be allowed to break law and order and peace in the state. He maintained that most of the demands of the Jat community have been fulfilled.

‘822 ARE ACCUSED IN THE SECASES’

“The orders to withdraw the 70 cases from courts were issued yesterday( Tuesday ),” additional chief secretary( home) SS Pr as ad said. “A total of 822 people were accused in the 70 FI Rs. In December, a similar direction was issued for (the withdrawal of) 15 cases in which 47 persons were accused. Similar instructio­ns were earlier given in connection with 138 cases, in which 1,158 people were accused ,” Prasad said. So far, the government has approved withdrawal of 223 cases, in which a total of 2,027 persons are accused, he said.

On the procedure followed in such cases, he said ,“The superinten­dent s of police( SPs) andd is- trict attorneys give their report and after examinatio­n of these, the state attorney general gives his opinion. Then District Magistrate­s are then asked to file applicatio­ns for withdrawal of the cases before the concerned courts”.

However, a final decision in this regard rests with the courts, he said. “We have written to the district magistrate­s, asking them to initiate the process for withdrawal of cases,” he added.

Most of the cases pertain to offences like unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, obstructin­g a public official from dischargin­g duty. Prasad clarified that no case pertaining to he inous crimes like murder, was to be withdrawn. In February 2016 Jat quota stir, around 30 people were killed and more than 300 people injured.

The govt must take back all cases and fulfil all other demands it had agreed to. We’ll choke all roads with tractors and ask him (Amit Shah) as why they are betraying us.

YASHPAL MALIK, AIJASS president

 ??  ?? All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti president Yashpal Malik addressing a press conference at Jassia village in Rohtak on Wednesday. MANOJ DHAKA/HT
All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti president Yashpal Malik addressing a press conference at Jassia village in Rohtak on Wednesday. MANOJ DHAKA/HT

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