Jats call off stir on Dhankar assurance

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hansi (Hisar), February 13

The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) today announced to call off the agitation after Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar assured it that Jats of Haryana would get reservation under the OBC category if the Centre gave the benefit to community of nine other states.

“The minister has said the state government supports the demand for reservation under the OBC category,” said AIJASS president Hawa Singh Sangwan after three-hour negotiations with Dhankar in Hansi late today.

Sangwan announced to lift the dharna from the railway track in Hisar’s Mayyar village on Sunday morning. He claimed Jats were satisfied with the response of the minister and would not participate in any agitation on the matter. 

The minister accompanied by Hisar DC Chander Shekhar Khare had invited a delegation of Jats for a meeting today evening. The talks broke down twice; the stalemate ended about 11pm.

Dhankar told The Tribune that he assured Jats the state had been making efforts to get the community included in the OBC category at the Centre. “The Special Backward Class (SBC) status of Jats and five other castes is still maintained in Haryana, as court has stayed only the provision of reservation in government jobs and education institutes. So, Jats are technically eligible for inclusion in the OBC category if the Centre takes such a decision in other states,” he said. 

Dhankar is among the four BJP leaders whom the AIJASS wanted to meet in course of ending their dharna. The samiti wanted an assurance from Dhankar or any of the three BJP Jat leaders — Union Minister Birender Singh, state Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu and state BJP chief Subhash Barala.

Saini blames BJP leaders for Mayyar agitation

Kurukshetra: MP Raj Kumar Saini on Saturday blamed a section of Jat leaders from the BJP for instigating the community to block rail traffic in Mayyar village. He alleged Union Minister Birender Singh and state Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu prompted the mob “to mount pressure on the state for an unconstitutional demand”. — TNS

Now, BCs threaten stir

Jhajjar: Now, representatives of the Backward Classes under the aegis of the Samajik Nyay Morcha have threatened to block the railway track at Kalanaur in Rohtak district on February 27 if the state makes an attempt to include Jats in the OBC category. Ramkishan Saini, president of the morcha, said: “We will not tolerate tampering with 27 per cent reservation quota for the BC category.” — TNS