Haryana seeks forces as jat agitation looms

With jat leaders threatening to resume agitation in case the BJP-led Haryana government does not meet their demands my March 17, the Haryana government has sought paramilitary forces from the Centre to be deployed in sensitive areas.

“Paramilitary force has been demanded (through state home department) from the Centre and we will get the same,” IGP, Rohtak Range, Sanjay Kumar said on Wednesday.

He said additional police forces also been arranged from within the state.

“We have made adequate police security arrangements. We have adequate force and we are deploying it accordingly,” Mr Kumar said.

However, he refused to shed light on how many police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order in case jat leaders resume their agitation.

“I cannot disclose it because of security considerations,” the IGP said.

The government, meanwhile, said deputy commissioners will take a call on whether to order closure of schools/colleges after assessing the law and order situation in their respective districts.

“The deputy commissioners will take a call in this regard after assessing the situation in their districts,” Haryana’s additional chief secretary (home) P.K. Das said.

He was asked if the schools/colleges in Haryana have been ordered to remain shut for three days beginning Thursday in the wake of the threat by the jat leaders.

He, however, pointed out that there was no order from the home department ordering closure of educational institutions in the state Thursday.

The jat quota bill is likely to be tabled in the Haryana Assembly Thursday.

The Haryana police was criticised for its “failure” to prevent and control violence during the jat agitation last month, in which 30 people lost their life.

The then IGP Rohtak Shrikant Jadhav was suspended by the Haryana government. Several districts, including Rohtak, Jhajjar, Kaithal, Jind, Sonipat and Bhiwani, had witnessed violence by arsonists and unruly mob.

The influential Jat community led by the All-India Jat Sangharsh Samiti had threatened to relaunch their agitation if the state’s BJP government did not meet their demands by March 17.

Jats are demanding 10 per cent quota in jobs and educational institutions, besides withdrawal of FIRs registered against the protesters, compensation to those killed during the stir and action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini for his “anti-jat” reservation stand.