Haryana to withdraw cases lodged during Jat reservation stir

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government has decided to withdraw all cases registered in connection with the violence, which broke out during a Jat quota agitation in February 2016.

The decision was announced on Sunday after Chief Minister Khattar, Union Minister Birender Singh, senior BJP leader Anil Jain, held a five-hour-long meeting with a jat delegation, led by All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti president Yashpal Malik in the national capital.

“Cases lodged during reservation stir will be withdrawn. Regarding High Court decision on reservation to Jats and five other communities, we'll provide all figures to State Backward Classes Commission before March 31, so that final decision can be taken,” Khattar told reporters here. Khattar had invited Malik to hold talks with the Jats, who had threatened to disrupt the BJP chief's proposed rally.

Earlier in the week, the Jat delegation had threatened to disrupt BJP chief Amit Shah's rally alleging non-fulfilment of their demands, after which Haryana had sought 150 companies of central forces as a preventive measure.

The Jat outfit had planned to take out their own rally in Jind on February 15 with 50,000 tractor-trolleys to disrupt Shah's bike rally.

The decision was announced after CM Khattar, Union Minister Birender Singh and senior BJP leader Anil Jain held a five-hour-long meeting with a Jat delegation.