Jat stir: Prohibitory orders remain in force in the city

In the wake of Jat leaders in Haryana launching fresh stir over quota, prohibitory orders remained imposed in several parts of the national capital on Monday. No violence has been reported till noon.

Over a hundred check posts were set up in areas, mostly bordering Haryana, and the police barricaded some road stretches near Singhu Border, on Nangloi-Bahadurgarh road and Karnal road, senior officials said.

Riot control teams have also been deployed in northwest and southwest Delhi. The police are taking no chances after the first round of protests in February, in which roads were blocked and agitation was witnessed in these parts of the city.

On Sunday evening, Delhi Police had imposed CrPC Section 144 (prohibitory orders against unlawful assembly) in the bordering districts of Delhi and other parts of city which are likely to witness protests in connection with Jat quota demand.

Around 11 AM on Monday, a small group of Jat protesters reached near Singhu Border, following which senior officials including the DCP and Joint Commissioner of the range rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control, officials said.

Most of the areas, in which prohibitory orders were imposed, are either located in the border areas near Haryana or inhabited by large number of people belonging to the Jat community.

The prohibitory orders have been implemented in 18 police sub-divisions -Dwarka and Najafgarh in South West Delhi, Alipur and Bawana in outer Delhi, Mehrauli and Vasant Vihar sub division in South Delhi, Sarita Vihar and Ambedkar Nagar sub division in South-East Delhi, Gokalpuri, Seemapuri and Khajuri Khas in North-East Delhi, Madhu Vihar and Kalyanpuri sub division in East Delhi, Mukherjee Nagar in North West Delhi and whole North Delhi, the senior police said.

These 18 sub-divisions, which have under their jurisdiction over 54 police stations, covering over one-fourth of the land area of the city.

In the first phase of the Jat agitation, violence was witnessed in and around Mukherjee Nagar and Najafgarh areas. In February, the agitating members of Jat community had held demonstrations at several places in the city, leading to severe disruption of traffic on key arterial roads.