Jat protesters to gather at Jantar Mantar

Will discuss stir strategy

Jat protestors from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country will gather at Jantar Mantar here on Thursday to chalk out their future course of agitation, Yashpal Malik, the president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti, which is leading the quota stir in Haryana, said.

A memorandum on “injustice” meted out to Jats by the Haryana government will be submitted to President Pranab Mukherjee, he said. The Jat community in Haryana is demanding reservation in education and government jobs.

“The government has failed to address our demands and the next course of action will be decided at Jantar Mantar,” Mr Malik said, adding that the protests will intensify from March 1 and more sit-ins will be held.

The state government has set up a committee which has no power to take a decision. So, no talks will be held with any such panel in the future, he said.

The agitation will enter its next phase with a ‘non-cooperation’ campaign from March 1 during which people will be asked not to pay government dues and charges of water and electricity

The agitation will enter its next phase with a “non-cooperation” campaign from March 1 during which people will be asked not to pay government dues and charges of water and electricity besides stopping the supply of milk and vegetables, he said.

Besides reservation, the Jats have been demanding that cases registered against the youth during the agitation last year be withdrawn.

Thirty people were killed and property worth crores of rupees was damaged at many places in Haryana during last year’s Jat stir which had turned violent.