Chandigarh: Taking adequate lessons from the violence during last agitation by Jat community members demanding reservation, Haryana administration has imposed propitiatory orders in several districts.
Akhil Bhartiya Jat Arakshan Sangarsh Samiti (ABJASS) has called a state-wide protest which will begin on Sunday.
Security in the state has been tightened with the deployment of 4,800 paramilitary personnel. Learning from the complete failure of law and order during protests in February, administration is not taking any chances and has put the official machinery on high alert.
”Besides adequate deployment of police personnel, as many as 48 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed at various places in the state keeping in view the stir call from tomorrow. We have asked for 15 more companies from the Centre,” Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Ram Niwas said on Saturday.
He said, “We are not taking any chance even though only one group was going ahead with the dharna.” He added that police and paramilitary forces have been deployed to guard the Western Yamuna Canal in Sonipat district.
Protesters had disrupted water supply to the national capital by damaging the Carrier-Lined Channel (CLC) of Munak Canal during the earlier Jat agitation in February. The administration has specified one spot in each district where people can peacefully hold dharna, officials said.
However, officials said they were wary of the fact that protesters may attempt to block national highways and rail tracks, like in February, and therefore they have put maximum security to prevent a repeat of the situation.
Sonipat District Magistrate K Makarand Pandurang yesterday issued an order banning mobile internet service in the district with effect from Saturday.
The ban would be effective till further orders. The District Magistrate said that there were chances that mobile internet services might be used to spread wrong information and rumours.
He said that these services could also be used in illegal activities such as blocking roads, highways and railway tracks, damaging government property and disrupting essential services and supply of food.
Social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, Google Plus and mobile internet could be misused for this purpose, the DM said. He said that all telecom service providers have been directed to strictly abide by these orders.
Haryana Police has cancelled leave of all personnel except in emergency cases till further orders.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPc have already been imposed in seven sensitive districts of Haryana barring gathering of five or more persons and paramilitary forces have been conducting flag marches during the past few days.
Police are keeping a close watch on anyone trying to spread rumours or make inflammatory statements through social media.
”Adequate security measures have been taken. We are fully prepared to deal with the situation,” Additional Director General of Police Mohammad Akil said.
”The police stations are stocked adequately equipped to dead with any kind of protest,” he said.
The business community in Haryana which faced massive financial loss during the Jat quota agitation in February this year on Saturday appealed to Jats to hold a peaceful protest in support of their demands.
"We appeal to Jat leaders that they should keep their agitation peaceful and there should not be any kind of disorder so that nobody should face any loss," Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal, President, Bajrang Dass Garg said.
Given the security arrangements put in place by the state government ahead of proposed agitation by Jats from tomorrow, traders feel that there is not going to be any incident of violence or arson as witnessed during previous pro-quota Jat stir in February this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
