Tanwar blames govt for imbroglio

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

State Congress chief Ashok Tanwar has said that while it is for the BJP government to take a call whether it wants to take back serious criminal cases registered in connection with last year’s Jat agitation, it should immediately withdraw cases registered against innocent persons.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Tanwar held the state government responsible for the present imbroglio on the Jat agitation and said that had it implemented whatever assurances it gave to the Jats in February last year, the situation would not have come to such a pass.

Asked if his party supports reservation to Jats, Tanwar said the Congress had always supported quota based on caste to socially and economically backward classes.

Tanwar said he had been sympathising with those sitting on dharnas because he felt that the government had not kept its words given to the Jats while asking them to end their stir in February last year.

Asked what those promises were, Tanwar said only the government and the agitators could tell that. “I do not think this government really wants a solution to the problem. Constituting a committee of officers to hold dialogue with agitators speaks about lack of seriousness of the government. Unless political persons are part of talks, one can never think of a solution to the issues,” he maintained.

Scoffing at the INLD’s announcement to dig SYL canal from February 23, Tanwar alleged that if Haryana had not been able to get waters till now, it was largely because of the Chautalas.

“Had the INLD not opposed the Rajiv-Longowal accord, Haryana would have got the SYL canal waters long back. Similarly, had Chautala taken concrete steps when the Supreme Court gave its verdicts in the state’s favour during his regime, things would have been different,” he said.

Tanwar accused the Chautalas of having played a long drawn “pseudo-boxing” with the Badals of Punjab on the SYL issue.