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Centre invites Jats for talks
Tribune News Service

Jat community women prepare food on a track in UP. — PTI

Chandigarh, March 15
The threat to stop essential supplies, including oil from the Mathura refinery, to Delhi from March 17, today prompted the Centre to invite agitating Jats for a dialogue on their demand for reservation in government jobs under the OBC category.

A delegation of Jats from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, led by Yashpal Malik, is likely to hold discussions on Wednesday with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Union Social Justice Minister Mukul Wasnik.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha and also the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. While an assurance was given in the Rajya Sabha that the Government would make a statement on the issue tomorrow, the Haryana Vidhan Sabha decided against adopting a resolution in favour of the demand, as suggested by the INLD.

There was pandemonium for more than hour with the INLD alleging that the Backward Classes Commission had rejecetd the letter of the Haryana Chief Minister forwarded to it by the PMO. The CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda clarified that the Commission had said it had no power to ‘review’ reservation. Hence the letter was forwarded to the Social Justice Ministry, where it was being examined.

The agitation by the Jats, who have been squatting on railway tracks and putting up road blockades, has already led to cancellation of 320 trains by Northern Railways and 122 trains by North Central Railways. As many as 434 trains had to be diverted also during the last ten days, according to railway officials. A group of Jats also commenced an indefinite fast at Jind today.