Jat quota stir turns violent in Haryana, army uses chopper to reach Rohtak

Agitators set school, mall on fire; unidentified persons looted some weapons from a gun shop.

The army used helicopters to reach police lines in Haryana’s Rohtak district on Saturday as the Jat community continued their agitation demanding reservation in jobs and education.

A school, belonging to a state Minister Capt Abhimanyu, a shopping mall in the city and office of the Budha Khera station master were set on fire by the agitating Jat community members. Jats are protesting across the state seeking reservation in the government jobs under OBC category.

Police said the protesters set on fire a school, R N Mall and shops adjacent to it in the city. Earlier, the agitators had burnt the house of the Minister, who represents Jat community, and camp office of the local BJP MLA Manish Kumar Grover at his residence here.

The minister, who holds key Finance portfolio in Manohar Lal Khattar-led government, said he was saddened by the arson across various places in the state.

Appealing for peace, he said he was in favour of finding a solution to the issue and with the community members but opposed to arson.

Agitators’ also pelted stones at a residence of local BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini in Kaithal, police said.Around 50 persons attacked the Saini's residence at Sector 19 here, damaging windowpanes. Some adjoining houses were also damaged in the stone pelting, police said.

Saini had earlier expressed objection over giving reservation to Jats and even threatened to resign if there was -"any loss-" to reservation quota for OBCs.

No security personnel were deployed at the Saini's residence where he comes every few days to hear grievances since Kaithal falls in his Kurukshetra Parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, unidentified persons looted some weapons from a gun house (shop) at Rohtak, police said, adding that a search has been launched for the miscreants.

The protesters also set on fire the roadways workshop here besides setting on blaze around four state owned transport buses. Rohtak is under curfew with authorities have ordered shoot at sight to maintain law and order.

Top Union Ministers, Rajnath Singh, Manohar Parrikar, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj on Friday night reviewed the prevailing law and order situation in Haryana.

The Union Ministers, along with NSA Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Director of Intelligence Bureau Dineswar Sharma besides others, took stock of the situation in Haryana where curfew has been imposed in several towns after violence broke out.

The top government functionaries decided that all assistance will be given to the state government to tackle the situation arising out of the violence, official sources said.

Army has already been deployed in several towns to deal with the volatile situation while 3,300 additional paramilitary personnel have also been sent to assist the state government.

Army was called in on Friday in nine districts of Haryana and curfew was imposed in two districts along with shoot-at-sight orders after one person died and 25 were injured during the Jat stir for quota which turned violent with mobs resorting to widespread arson.