In a move that could potentially hit transport and supply of essential items to the national capital, Jat leaders have announced that they will gherao the national capital on March 20 to press for demand of reservation in jobs and educational institutions.
On Tuesday, the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) core committee held its meeting in Jassia in Haryana's Rohtak district. It was decided that the protestors will demonstrate at the entry points Delhi from seven sides on March 20.
The AIJASS, led by Jat leader Yashpal Malik, has been agitating for its demands in Haryana since January 29. Malik said that if Jat protestors, coming from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, were stopped on way to Delhi, they would start their protest at those very points.
He said that male members of the Jat community will move towards Delhi for the agitation, while the women will continue their protests across Haryana.
The decision comes after talks between the state government and the Jat leaders hit a roadblock last month as the Haryana government made it clear that it has no jurisdiction to withdraw cases being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation against some Jat leaders over violence during the agitation last year.
Haryana Chief MInister Manohar Lal Khattar had also accused the Jat leaders of increasing their demands and changing goalposts.
Their demands include reservation for Jats, jobs to the next of kin of those killed in violence in the Jat agitation last year, compensation to those injured, withdrawal of cases against them and action against the officers who ordered action against the Jats, among others.
Violence during the agitation last year had left 30 people dead and over 200 injured. Government and private property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was damaged during the violence in February 2016.
Court-appointed Prakash Singh panel had pointed at failure of the administration and police to act in time that led to the agitation paralysing the state for days. The committee named the then Additional Chief Secretary (Home) PK Das and DGP Yash Pal Singhal for virtually abdicating authority and not leading from the front.
