Jat quota stir: Five Haryana towns now brought under curfew

Sonipat (Haryana)

As violence spread to more areas in Haryana over the Jat quota row, the district administration today clamped curfew in Sonipat city and Gohana town of the district.

Curfew has now been imposed in five towns in Haryana including Sonipat city in the wake of incidents of violence during the Jat agitation.

“Sonipat city and Gohana town have been brought under curfew today,” Sonipat’s Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Rattan told PTI over phone.

Protesters have toay blocked the NH-1 near Nangal village in Sonipat district.

Curfew had already been clamped in Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar towns.

Elsewhere, protesters put up blockades at National Highway 73, Saharanpur-Kurukshetra near Ladwa, Saharanpur-Ambala near village Kail, Yamunanagar-Poanta Sahib highway near Chhachhrauli and Bilaspur-Sadhura road.

Road transport was also hit because of the protest as buses remained off the road.

Protesters also blocked the road near Gehli, Dalanwas, Bass, Dongr Jat, Nizampur, Madhogarh and Mohanpur.

Jats can file review petition in SC: Shivpal

Lucknow

Expressing concern over the violent Jat stir for quota in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav today appealed to members of the community to maintain peace and said they can file a review petition in the Supreme Court against the apex court’s ruling on the reservation issue.

“I appeal to members of Jat community to maintain peace.

The judgement given by the Supreme Court was supreme. Jat community can file a review petition in the apex court,” Yadav told reporters.

On Delhi Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari’s proposed visit to the state capital, Shivpal said that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav listens to all sections of the society and accepts their demands.

“The government has fulfilled all its promises,” he said.

Stir will end only after quota Ordinance: Jat leaders

Chandigarh

Several Jat leaders today refused to call off the pro-quota agitation unless the government promulgates an ordinance to include the community in the OBC category.

The response came after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today released a statement saying that his government has “accepted” their demands, but did not elaborate.

The leaders also demanded that a compensation of Rs 50 lakh be given to the kin of the person killed in firing yesterday and a government job to one of his family members.

All India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti’s national president Yashapal Malik said, “We will not withdraw our agitation unless the state government brings an ordinance for giving reservation to Jats.

“We will not accept mere statements issued by Khattar.

The government will have to promulgate ordinance first. The government should pass a Bill in this regard in the Assembly,” he told PTI.

Replying to reports that youths from the community were “not in control” of the agitation leaders as they were indulging in incidents of violence and arson in parts of the state, Mailk said that the youth are in “our control.”

Malik alleged that “BJP workers were indulging in violence and arson.”

The leader had yesterday accused Khattar of having a “casteist mentality” and resisting quota demand as he was “not from the community”.

Earlier in the day, the BJP government in Haryana had “accepted” the demands of the community which is seeking quota under OBC category.

Khattar had appealed to protesters to end their stir and asked them to “return to their homes as the Government has accepted their demands”, but did not elaborate.

Meanwhile, Haryana Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki has appealed the agitators to call off their stir and resolve the issue through negotiations.

“Violence is no solution to any problem, rather it creates hurdles in the path of development and prosperity,” the Governor said in a statement here today.

The Governor said that unity, brotherhood and harmony have been the tradition of Haryana.

“They should desist from acts of vandalism and arson. I appeal all agitators to call off their stir and resolve the issue by sitting across the table,” he said.

Normal life has been paralysed in Haryana in view of Jat agitation, which has also been marred by incidents of violence.

BJP invites Jat leaders for talks, says committed to quota

New Delhi

Asserting that it stands for Jat quota, BJP today lined up Jat leaders to reach out to the community, whose stir in Haryana has shown no signs of a let up amid widespread violence, and invited their representatives to hold talks with party chief Amit Shah and Union ministers.

Concerned over the fallout of the conflagration as the community holds sway in western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and parts of Delhi, Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with the party’s Jat faces separately and discussed possible measures to douse the fire.

“In a way, there is an atmosphere of anarchy (in Haryana). I appeal to the people leading the agitation to hold talks with our leadership…. Youths who are at the forefront should also join talks. I appeal, pray to the people of Haryana to maintain peace and harmony,” Union Minister Birender Singh said.

Singh, party’s most notable Jat leader from Haryana, was joined by another Union minister Sanjeev Balyan, who has emerged as the party’s face from the community in western UP, Haryana cabinet minister O P Dhankar besides party General Secretary and state in-charge Anil Jain.

Singh blamed Congress for the crisis, saying it announced reservation for Jats without due diligence due to “political reasons”, following which the Supreme Court quashed the decision.

“We are paying the price for Congress’ wrong deeds,” Jain said.

Seeking to allay apprehensions expressed by some community leaders that that the BJP was not keen on quota for it, Singh said the party leadership had assured them that it was for reservation.

The central government and the party are exploring ways to see to it that Jats get reservation, the leaders said.

The need for an early solution to the crisis and placating the numerically strong community is being keenly felt in the party as its repercussions could be felt in the UP assembly polls scheduled for early next year.

Jats have backed BJP in the state following the Muzaffarnagar riots.

The Home Minister is meeting Jat leaders from UP and Delhi tonight.

Jat quota row: veggies up, milk supply under stress in NCR

New Delhi

Wholesale prices of vegetables such as potato and cauliflower have gone up marginally in Delhi NCR, while milk supply has come under stress due to disruption in transportation as the protest over Jat quota in neighbouring Haryana continues.

Officials of Azadpur mandi said the supply of vegetables in the national capital could be further impacted if the protest continues.

Leading milk producer Amul has already suspended operation at its Rohtak plant, which has a capacity of 5 lakh litres per day, while Kwality Ltd said it has stopped milk collection from its chilling centres in Sirsa and Fatehabad.

Currently, the demand of milk is being met in Delhi-NCR by increased supply from Uttar Pradesh, while that of vegetables is being fulfilled by neighbouring Rajasthan after the protest disrupted the transportation.

The wholesale price of potato, cauliflower, carrot and green leafy vegetables today rose by Rs 100 per quintal at Azadpur mandi, Asia’s largest wholesale market for fruits and vegetables.

“There is 10-15 per cent fall in supply from Haryana.

However, the demand is being met from Rajasthan and other states. If protest continues, the supply would be impacted and accordingly prices,” an Azadpur Mandi official told PTI.

According to Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) Managing Director R S Sodhi, “We supply milk from Rohtak plant to the national capital. But for last three days, we have suspended the operations there.”

Yesterday, milk processed from the Rohtak plant could not be brought to Delhi/NCR and had to be distributed locally, he said and added that milk supply is “under stress” though there is no shortage of stock for NCR.

“But if this situation continues, then it is a cause of concern,” Sodhi said.

Expressing concern over the situation, Kwality Managing Director Sanjay Dhingra said, “We have stopped collecting milk from our chilling centres at Sirsa and Fatehabad.”

In these two chilling centres, the company collects 30,000 litres milk per day from about 20,000 farmers in about 250 villages.

“But somehow we are maintaining our supply in the Delhi- NCR region. If the situation continues the availability of milk will be affected,” he added.

The company supplies 2.5 lakh litres of milk per day to Delhi/NCR, while Amul distributes 30 lakh litres per day.

PTI