Har govt to bring bill on quota; Centre sets up committee

Seeking to douse the Jat stir,the Centre today set up a high-powered committee to examine their demand for quota in central jobs after a meeting with Jat leaders during which it was decided that a Bill will be moved in Haryana Assembly for giving OBC status to the community.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today appealed to the agitating Jats in Haryana to restore peace after violence continued in the state taking the death toll to 12.
He also announced that a committee, headed by Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, has been set up to look into the demand of Jats for reservation in central government jobs.

"I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. But law and order is a state subject. If someone indulges in violence we will have to take action," he told reporters after a series of meeting, including one with a delegation of Jats.
After the meeting, BJP general secretary in-charge of Haryana Anil Jain said a bill will be brought in the coming session of the Haryana Assembly for granting OBC status to the Jats in the state.
The Home Minister, however, did not make any comment on BJP's declaration that a Bill for giving OBC status to Jats will be brought in the coming Haryana Assembly session.

Those who attended the meeting with the Home Minister included Jat leaders from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi besides Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Haryana Minister Abhimanyu, BJP MP and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh, former Deputy Chief of Army Lt Gen (Retd) Raj Kandyan etc.

After the meeting with the Home Minister, Jat Sangharsh Samiti leader Jaipal Sing Sangwan said the discussion was very positive and he was confident that the community would accept the decisions.
"We appeal to everyone to call off the agitation," he said.
However, another leader of the Jat Sangharsh Samiti Rajesh Dahiya said a decision on calling off the agitation would be taken by the community later.

The Home Minister also expressed grief over the loss of lives during the violence.
Haryana was on the edge today as fresh incidents of arson and violence shook the state with a ninth town being brought under curfew as the Jat agitation for quota under OBC entered the eighth day.
The Jat stir also hit Delhi with the Arvind Kejriwal government announcing closure of schools tomorrow as part of water rationing after supply from Haryana was disrupted. The national capital also witnessed massive traffic jams in some parts.