Jats continue indefinite fast for probe into Haryana violence

The indefinite hunger strike by members of the Jat community to demand a judicial probe into violence during the quota stir in Haryana continued for the fourth day here on Thursday.

The protesters alleged that violence in Haryana was a "government conspiracy" to defame the entire community.

"It has become a matter of self-respect for us. Our community has been blamed across the country for the looting of shops and rape of women in the garb of the reservation movement. There should be a judicial probe to find out the real culprits," Vishwa Jat Chetan Manch president Omveer Singh told IANS.

Singh accused the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Haryana of turning the "peaceful movement" violent.

"Jats were sitting on a peaceful agitation but the BJP-led government in the state as well as the Centre intentionally used force to make it look like violent movement. The police arrested innocent youths from our community and framed them in false cases. We will travel from village to village and expose the Bharatiya Janata Party," the Jat leader said.

"We will not let the government sleep in peace if our demands are not fulfilled," he said while reiterating the demand for reservation in government jobs.

As many as 30 people died in the violence during the Jat quota stir in Haryana.

Meanwhile, the 72-hour deadline set by the Jats for the passage of the reservation bill, that envisages 10 percent quota for the Jats along with four other communities under the special Other Backward Class category, in the Haryana assembly ended on Thursday.

The community members had threatened to resume their agitation if the bill was not passed.

As a precautionary measure, paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas of Rohtak and Jhajjar.