Situation tense in Rohtak, mobile internet suspended in 12 districts
Rapid Action Force deployed at Jassia village to avoid clash after the sarpanches’ association and youths sit on dharna against Jat outfit chief Malik for defying the mahapanchayat
ROHTAK: Situation remained volatile in Rohtak’s Jassia village as protesters upping the ante to cancel the upcoming Sunday rally of the All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) chief Yashpal Malik.
On Friday, heavy security forces, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF) of the Haryana Police, had to be deployed to avoid clash in Jassia after the Sarpanch Association and jailed Jat youths (who are out on bail) sat on a dharna at the rally spot insisting they will not let the rally take place.
The protesters said the AIJASS defied the mahapanchayat’s call to resolve the issue by boycotting it. “Thursday’s mahapanchayat had decided to meet again on Friday to resolve the issue.
But the AIJASS volunteers refused to attend it saying they did not want a decision against them. So we came to sit on dharna at their rally spot,” said Sumit Arya, the president of Sarpanch Association that is opposing the rally.
The youths who were jailed in connection with the Jat agitation of 2016 also sat on dharna to oppose the rally.
“Yashpal Malik has collected crores of rupees in our name but has done nothing for us. Our prime demand of withdrawal of cases against us has not been met by government, so why these rallies for education institutes?” said Rahul Dadu, who is out on bail.
BAN WILL BE IMPOSED IN JIND, HANSI, BHIWANI, HISAR, FATEHABAD, KARNAL, PANIPAT, KAITHAL, ROHTAK, SONEPAT, JHAJJAR AND CHARKHI DADRI
The protesters lifted their dharna late Friday night, giving warning that they would assemble again on Saturday morning to oppose the rally.
On the dharna, Yashpal Malik said it was a government-sponsored protest that will fade in front of his supporters.
“These people have vested interests. This will not affect our rally," Malik said.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Jat Mahasabha asked the state government to take legal action against Malik and BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini for vitiating atmosphere in the state.
‘TENSION, DISTURBANCE OF PEACE LIKELY’
The government has ordered a ban on mobile internet services (2G, 3G, 4G, GPRS, CDMA), SMS services and dongle services available on mobile networks till the midnight of November 26 in 12 districts of the state to control false rumours and inflammatory messages ahead of two parallel rallies in Jind and Rohtak.
In a notice issued on Friday, additional chief secretary (home) SS Prasad said that it appeared “there was likelihood of causing tension, annoyance and disturbance of peace by protesters and anti-social elements during the two rallies”.
Internet services on mobile networks, except voice calls, in Jind, Hansi, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Rohtak, Sonepat, Jhajjar, and Charkhi Dadri districts shall remain suspended for three
days until the midnight of November 26, an official order said yesterday. This would be the fourth time in last two years that the internet services have been shut due to Jat rally.
Haryana had witnessed unprecedented violence during Jat agitation in February, 2016, in which 30 people were killed.