Jat agitation continues as talks remain inconclusive

Talks between a section of Jat community leadership, which is spearheading Jat protests across 19 districts in Haryana, remained inconclusive on Saturday even as the agitation continued for the 14th day.

The Jat leadership, led by Yashpal Malik, who heads the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), met a panel of senior Haryana government officers at the guest house of Panipat Refinery on Saturday.

Before going in for the meeting, the Jat leadership maintained they would question the state government on why it had not implemented the demands which were agreed upon in earlier meetings and the government had promised to implement them.

The deadlock over holding talks between agitating Jat leaders and the Haryana government was finally broken on Friday.

The Haryana government on Tuesday set up a five-member committee under the Chief Secretary for a dialogue over grant of reservation to the Jat community.

The agitation by the Jats has remained peaceful till now. A section of the Jat community has been protesting since January 29.

Their demands include reservation for Jats, jobs to the next of kin of those killed in violence in the Jat agitation last year, withdrawal of cases against them and action against officers who ordered action against the Jats.

Violence during the Jat agitation last year left 30 people dead and over 200 injured. Government and private property worth hundreds of crores was damaged during the violence in February 2016.

--IANS

js/pgh/vm