Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today held a meeting with senior BJP workers and ministers of 10 "sensitive" districts, as the Jat agitation in some parts of the state continued for the nineteenth day.
A senior state minister, who attended the meeting, has said the Haryana government was open for talks with Jat leaders who have launched a stir for seeking reservation for the community in education and government jobs among others.
The meeting discussed the present situation of the stir at length and the participants were apprised about the steps taken by the Haryana government in the direction of giving reservation to the Jat community in the state.
The party workers and ministers of districts Jhajjar, Rohtak, Bhiwani, Charkhi-Dadri, Hisar, Jind, Sirsa, Kaithal, Sonipat and Panipat were present in the meeting held at Swatantrata Senani Zila Parishad Bhawan here.
After the meeting, Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar briefed the media and said the state government was open for talks with Jat leaders and they should put up their demands before the government.
He claimed that it was BJP who gave reservation to Jats in UP, MP, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana. He also criticised the Congress, saying it hurriedly gave reservation to Jats in which due procedure was not followed and did not refer the matter to the National Commission for Backward Classes.
According to Dhankar, the present BJP government gave reservation to Jat community in the way they asked for and their suggestions were conceded.
He said the matter was challenged in the court of law, after which also advocate Jagdeep Dhankar was hired for pursuing the case in the Supreme Court as per the demand of the community.
"Moreover, Jats wanted to expedite the hearings in the court, accordingly the government took steps and the hearing was expedited" he said.
The Agriculture Minister said that as per the demand raised by the agitating Jat leaders, the state government has no objection in providing financial help and service to the family member of the persons who lost their lives during the agitation last year. They have open invitation from the government.
Referring to the demand of withdrawal of cases filed during last year's agitation, Dhankar said that taking action on this demand, the state government has withdrawn about 1,500 cases till now and 622 cases were pending.
The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Steel Birender Singh and Haryana Finance Minister Abhimanyu among others.
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