Abhay promises ₹100cr grant for Chhotu Ram Dham if voted to power
Says Khattar govt fooling community; AIJASS chief Yashpal Malik says a dharna will be held at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Dec 21 if demands of reservation, withdrawal of criminal cases not met
I cannot give ₹50 lakh or ₹1 crore to you. I don’t have that much money in my account because I always did honest politics. BIRENDER SINGH, Union steel minister
ROHTAK: Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala on Sunday promised a grant of ₹100 crore for ‘Chhotu Ram Dham’, an education institute being built exclusively for the Jat community, if the INLD-BSP alliance was voted to power in Haryana in 2019.
Abhay was speaking at a ‘Jat Mahasammelan’ organized by the All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) in Rohtak’s Jassia village. Union steel minister Birender Singh, who was also present at the event, promised a ₹60 lakh discount in steel material for the construction of the Chhotu Ram Dham.
The Jat community has been demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutes for years. In February 2016, around 30 people were killed and property worth crores was vandalised during a Jat reservation stir.
Yashpal Malik, the Jat leader spearheading the reservation movement, said, a large group of Jats will launch a dharna at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on December 21, if the government did not fulfil their demand of quota and withdrew cases against Jat youths registered in connection with the 2016 stir.
“On December 21, we will give a final date to the government to either fulfil our demands, or we will stop their leaders’ entry into villages in Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh,” Malik said. He added that BJP minister OP Dhankar, Captain Abhimanyu and Manish Grover planned the 2016 stir, but Jat youths were blamed.
Echoing Malik’s statements, INLD leader Abhay added that the BJP government was fooling the Jat community. “The government has ended many Jat dharnas with false assurances. This time, when you go to the Jantar Mantar, do not settle for verbal assurances, but seek a written, signed and stamped document guaranteeing reservation,” he added.
The INLD leader accused former Congress CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda of giving reservation to Jats in a hurry for his vote bank.
The reservation was challenged and then quashed in Supreme Court. Eyeing the INLD’S vote bank that largely depends on the Jat community, Abhay said, “Last year, you asked for ₹50 lakh from me for Chhotu Ram Dham, but I gave ₹1 crore. You help us in forming the government and I promise to give ₹100 crore after coming to power.”
Taking a dig at Abhay, BJP minister Birender, who spoke next, advised people not be fooled by Abhay’s promise of ₹100 crore.
“Pehle ye chanda denge, fir sab kuch hi kabza lenge (First they will give donation, then will take over the entire control of the institute). Have you not seen how they have taken over so many things before like this,” said Birender.
He added, “I cannot give ₹50 lakh or ₹1 crore to you. I don’t have that much money in my account because I always did honest politics. But I promise to help the community get discount worth ₹60 lakh on purchase of steel material required for the construction of the Chhotu Ram Dham.”
The union minister said reservation was not only needed for government jobs but also for farmers whose land the government was acquiring.