Jats protest over action against accused
Protesters in Kaithal, Hisar, Jind and Bhiwani demand withdrawal of attempt to murder charges
CHANDIGARH: Jats held demonstrations in various parts of Haryana, including Kaithal, Hisar, Jind and Bhiwani, on Thursday to protest against slapping of attempt to murder charges on the five accused in the recent ink attack on BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini.
Saini is known for his strong stance against the Jat quota and has often generated controversy by his alleged remarks against the community.
Kaithal town witnessed two different protests over the issue on Thursday by the Jats and other communities. A third demonstration was organised by a local BJP leader to protest over Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda’s alleged derogatory remark against chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Members of Jat community, including the students of local Jat college, took out a protest march at Pehowa chowk.
The protesters, led by Jat leader Dharampal Chhot, demanded withdrawal of Section 307 (attempt to muder) of IPC against the accused in the ink attack on Saini in Kurukshetra on Sunday.
On the other hand, members of other communities, led by former MLA and Saini’s close associate Roshan Lal Arya, also held a protest in Kaithal.
They alleged that the members of a particular community were trying to suppress the others, but they would not allow them to do so.
Arya alleged that the Jats were opposing Saini as he raised the voice of the backwards.
Meawhile, members of “35 communities” took out a protest march against Deepender Hooda’s remark against Khattar. In a video clip that went viral on the social media recently, Hooda was seen speaking against Khattar and his culture. The protesters alleged that the MP wanted to disturb the social fabric of the state for political gains.
Led by local BJP leader Surender Singh, the protesters alleged that the elected representatives should not hit out at members of other communities, as they are elected by voters of all communities.
Meanwhile, residents of Kaithal had great inconvenience as there were traffic jams in the city due to three protests on a single day.
InHisar,studentsof Jatcollege led a protest march to the office of the deputy commissioner (DC) and demanded removal of Section 307 from the FIR against the accused in the ink attack. Students raised slogans against Saini and the BJP government in the state. Police stopped the protesters near the main gate of the mini-secretariat and allowed five students to meet DC Nikhil Gajraj. They submitted a memorandum to the DC.
Heavy police force was deployed to maintain law and order in the city.
Protesters said the police had thrashed the youths who threw ink on Saini and they later registered an attempt to murder case against the youths which is was totally wrong.
KHAPS LEADERS ON HUNGER STRIKE
Meanwhile, leaders of 12 khaps on Thursday started hunger strike in Narnaund town of Hisar district. The khap representatives also demanded that police should cancel the attempt to murder case against the youths.
In Jind, Kandela khap held a meeting to condemn Saini for calling the “mere ink spilling an attack on his life and labelling youths as criminals.”
Throwing its weight behind the accused, the group led a demonstration at the local government college and raised slogans against Saini.
In Bhiwani, Jat leader Hawa Singh Sangwan condemned both the ink attack and the thrashing of the accsued by Saini;s supporters and the policve perosnnel. “It is wrong to hurl ink at someone. But what happened after it was terrible. They (Saini supporters) should not have been allowed to take law in their hands and brutally thrash the youths,” he said.
The BJP MP has been under fire from opposition parties for his anti-Jat comments. They have now described the act of booking the accused in the ink attack under attempt to murder charges a misuse of power by the government.