Haryana braces for Jat agitation once more from Jan 29

Haryana is bracing for a fresh round of quota agitation by Jats from January 29 for which the government has sought 55 companies of paramilitary forces from the Centre besides deployment of 7,000 Home Guards in the state which saw 30 deaths and widespread destruction of property during a similar stir one year back.
Last year's agitation had largely affected Delhi as the protesters cut water supply to the national capital and caused massive damage to public property in Haryana.
Jat community outfits, while accusing the Manohar Lal Khattar government of not fulfilling their demands for reservation, have threatened to launch the next round of agitation in 19 districts of the state.

The 19 districts where the agitation is planned include Rohtak, Sonipat, Bhiwani, Kurukshetra, Mahendragarh, Panipat, Hisar, Jind, Kaithal and Fatehabad.
"We have been holding panchayats from the last 11 months in many villages on individual level to achieve the eventual goal of getting Other Backward Class (OBC) status," Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti chief Yashpal Malik told PTI.
"The BJP government in Haryana and Centre cheated us last time and assured us by giving fake promises to end our protest. They also targeted youths in fake cases for damaging private and government properties," Malik charged.

He said the community is prepared to face any challenge to seek reservation.

Jat leaders claim support of people from as many as 250 villages in Haryana and Delhi.
In view of the agitation plans, the Haryana government has sent a requisition for 55 companies (about 5500 personnel) of Central paramilitary forces and has also issued call out notice to depute 7,000 Home Guards in the state.
"Although the leaders of various agitating organisations have promised to hold dharnas in a peaceful manner, yet the administration is fully geared up to maintain law and order," Haryana's Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Ram Niwas said here today.
All the proposed dharnas would be videographed, the

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) said, adding he has urged the agitating leaders to protest in a peaceful manner as the government is always prepared for talks.
"Every citizen has the right to express his views in a democratic manner, but it should be in a peaceful manner," Niwas dded.
In view of the agitation plans, the police has stepped up efforts to avoid any untoward incident and damage to public property as in the last agitation.
Last year, the state saw Jat agitation in the month of February that resulted in the killing of 30 people and massive damage to property, particularly in worst-affected districts of Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonipat.

"I have directed every districts top police officials to prepare to deal with any kind of situation and make sure that road and rail routes would not get blocked. Keeping law and order intact in the state is our prime objective and we will deploy adequate police force in vulnerable districts to deal with eventualities," Haryana Police ADGP (law and order) Mohammad Akil told