Jat quota protest reaches UP, security stepped up

Leaders of various khap panchayats in Uttar Pradesh today blocked several roads here to demand reservations for Jats in government jobs even as security was stepped up along the UP-Haryana border in the state.
The leaders staged protest and blocked Bhakpa bridge on Ganga canal, Shukertal and Shahpur areas in the district, causing disruption to vehicular movement, police said.
Three companies of paramilitary force and PAC have been deployed at Uttar Pradesh's Kairana and Bidoli check posts onthe UP-Haryana interstate highway. Security has been tightened in view of Haryana's situation, SP Vijay Bhushan said.
Inter-state roadways bus services were today cut-off on Panipat-Kairana and Karnal-Shamli routes.

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Road and rail traffic in several western UP districts bordering Haryana were also affected by pro-reservation protest by the Jat community.

Major road and rail routes in Meerut, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Saharanpur, Mathura and other districts were blocked for three hours.
Meerut Zone IG Sujit Pandey said the protesters blocked road in 16 districts but no untoward incident has been reported from anywhere.
The protesters also gheraoed the residence of Meerut BJP MP Rajendra Agarawal and broke up only after the leader assured of his support to their demand.
The protesters also blocked Yamuna Expressway and Delhi-Agra National Highway briefly.