Jat outfit calls off 2-day stir, says it got quota assurance

A Jat outfit in Haryana today called off its two-day quota stir saying the state government has given a conditional assurance on providing reservation to the community under the OBC category.
The agitation was called off after a delegation of Jat leaders met state Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar late last night in Hansi.
"The minister assured us that Jats of Haryana will get reservation under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category if the central government gives the benefit to the community in eight other states (as well)," said AIJASS, President Hawa Singh Sangwan said here.
A faction of All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti had been protesting since Friday, demanding reservation under the OBC category. They had blocked railway track near Mayyar village here which led to disruption in rail services on Hisar-Bhiwani rail track.

Members of the delegation led by Sangwan today visited the protest site in the village and told the agitators that the minister had given an assurance. They then announced lifting of the blockade.
Sangwan said his outfit was satisfied with the talks with Dhankar even as some protesters voiced disagreement.

Meanwhile, another faction of AIJASS led by Yashpal Malik announced that it would start an agitation from February 21 to demand reservation for the community in central and state government jobs.
The chief minister said the government has also offered
the organisations involved in the current agitation that if they intended to hire their lawyer for pleading the case in the court, the state government is ready to pay the fee.

He reiterated that the government is making best efforts with honesty to get the issue resolved.
Activists of All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti (AIJASS) have been staging dharnas at various places, mostly in Rohtak, Sonepat, Jind and Hisar districts in support of their demands for last several days, with some activists even sitting on fast unto death at some places.
Three months after their violent agitation left 30 people dead Jat leaders, owing allegiance to AIJASS, have been holding the dharnas at various places amid tight security by the BJP government which had drawn severe flak over its handling of the quota agitation in February.

Nearly 20,000 security personnel including approximately 6,000 personnel of the Central forces are keeping a strict vigil on the Jat agitation this time to ensure no violence takes place.
A special round-the-clock control room has been set up in Chandigarh to monitor the situation.
The protesters are demanding quota under the OBC category, withdrawal of cases registered against community members during the previous stir in February, status of martyr for those killed and jobs for their next of kin, besides compensation to the injured.
After the agitation, the state government recently brought in laws to provide reservation for Jats and five other communities under a newly carved Backward Classes (C) category.

However, the high court stayed it, acting on a public interest litigation, after which some Jat groups announced the fresh stir.