Jat Protest: IAF, Army Coordinate to Reach Worst-hit Pockets
Follow the latest updates from the Jat agitation for reservation and the ensuing violence on the The Quint.
advertisement
- Mob sets fire to Budha Khera railway station in Jind, Haryana.
- Seven dead, 78 injured in the violence since Friday.
- Roadway and railway services suspended. Schools shut until further notice.
- Army deployed in nine agitation-hit districts of Haryana. 3,300 paramilitary personnel have been deployed.
- Curfew imposed in Sonepat, Jhajjar, Bhiwandi and Rohtak.
- Stones pelted at BJP MP Raj Kumar Saini’s residence in Kaithal.
- Internet and SMS services blocked in the affected districts.
- Thousands of trucks, carrying supplies and goods, stranded in affected districts.
- Jat protestors block roads in Gurgaon; police detain some protesters.
- Delhi faces water crisis. Supply to last until Sunday.
- Section 144 imposed in Gurgaon for two days.
Indian Air Force Conducts Sorties
IAF conducts around 50 sorties to help deploy army columns in Haryana. Personnel have been having trouble entering areas that were unreachable via road. Jat protestors have blocked highways and roads. Sorties are expected to continue through the night.
Section 144 Imposed
Section 144 has been imposed in Gurgaon for two days.
Delhi Water Crisis
Protestors in Haryana blocked the Mudak Canal creating water problems. Delhi government is to move to the Supreme Court over the crisis.
The Supply sources of water feeding seven Water Treatment Plants have completely dried up and as a result all these plants had to be shut down.
Morning water supply Sunday, will be available at low pressure as only 60% of water is available for supply, says the Delhi Jal Board.
Transport Suspended, Production Plant Set Ablaze
Himachal Road transportation suspended its bus services on 124 routes to Delhi & Haryana.
Around 9 pm on Saturday, the Vita Milk plant in Rohtak has been set on fire by agitators. Residents of the vicinity have been asked to vacate the area due to the possibility of gas leakage.
Jat Leaders Arrive at Home Minister’s House
Around 50 Jat leaders from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi have arrived at Rajnath Singh’s residence to talk about quota amid the escalating violence.
Death Toll Rises to Seven
Media reports the death toll in Haryana over the Jat quota, to be seven. Over 70 people have been injured.
Meanwhile, the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) is planning a two-hour bandh across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
High-Level Chair Meeting Ends
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar meet with Rajnath Singh over the Jat reservation stir.
Hooda’s Hunger Strike
Former Haryana Chief Minister BS Hooda has announced that he will go on a strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar tomorrow. He has also appealed for peace in the state.
He said he wanted to go to Rohtak but the state administration did not permit him. A curfew has been clamped in Rohtak, Bhiwani and Sonepat following intense violence and firing on Friday.
Army Opens Fire in Jhajjar, One Dead
An army column opened fire at Jhajjar to disperse a violent crowd. One civilian casualty has been reported in the mayhem according to ANI.
Thirty three army columns have deployed in the state with maximum deployment in Rohtak.
Haryana DGP, YP Singhal says 129 cases have been registered against those agitating so far.
Cabinet Secretary Reviews Situation
Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha reviewed the law and order situation in Haryana via video conferencing with Haryana Chief Secretary and DG Police. Sinha said safety of people, protection to property and maintainence of law and order in the state should be of top priority.
The Quint En Route to Rohtak
Jat Leaders to Meet Rajnath
Jat leaders from Uttar Pradesh are scheduled to meet Rajnath Singh at 8 PM today amid the escalating violence.
Chief of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) Yashpal Malik has said the group is planning a two-hour bandh across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. The agitation will continue despite police and army presence.
Meanwhile, mild firing is on in Rohtak. More than 600 trains to Haryana have been cancelled, Railways PRO Anil Saxena has said.
Protesters Burn Buses, Block Roads in UP
Meanwhile Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti workers have completely blocked Delhi’s Dhansa Stand Chowk and Peeragarhi Chowk, Traffic Police said.
Haryana Chief Minister Appeals For Peace
Manohar Lal Khattar has appealed Jat protesters to stop their agitation.
Amid the escalating violence, Khattar had held a key meeting with his ministers and top officials to take stock of the situation on Saturday.
Earlier, BJP Chief Amit Shah has asked the party’s Jat leaders to talk to protesters and resolve the issue, according to ANI. Junior Minister for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan also appealed to protesters to return to their homes and maintain peace.
Meanwhile, the Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti in Madhya Pradesh has announced its support to the agitation in Haryana.
Watch Jat Leader Incite Crowds
A 2010 video of Yashpal Malik, national president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti has resurfaced.The clip shows him addressing a crowd about reservation.
Curfew Imposed in More Areas
A curfew has now also been imposed in Sonepat and Jhajjar. Rohtak and Bhiwani were already under cufew.
Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki Plants in Manesar and Gurgaon have been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure. Componet supplies are hit by the stir.
Delhi Water Supply Could be Hampered
Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party has hinted at a possibilty of the city’s water supply being hampered because of the Jat protests. An emergency meeting will be held at Delhi Secretariat at 1 PM, tweeted Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra.
Meanwhile Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has spoken to Rajnath Singh and Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar
Haryana DGP Promises Strict Action Against Protesters
Haryana DGP YP Singhal appealed for calm when he addressed reporters Saturday morning. He said traffic jams caused by the protests had been cleared up at many places the behest of police.
He added that there was stone pelting at Saini’s house, but the police were fast to disperse the protesters.
More Stone Pelting, Violence Reported
A mob pelted stones at Haryana Minister O P Dhankar’s house in Jhajjar on Saturday. No one was injured in the incident, the police said. Dhankar is among the prominent Jat politicians in the state.
Meanwhile, a police station, a petrol pump. a government building and a banquet hall were set afire in Rohtak’s Meham area. A 2000-2500 strong mob was behind the rampage, police said.
Protesters Enter Girls’ Hostel in Rohtak
Media reports suggest that petrol pumps and community halls have been set on fire in Rohtak. Protesters have also allegedly entered a girls’ hostel.
DU Students Agitate for Jat Reservation
Home Secy and DGP to Address Media at 12 pm
Haryana Home Secretary, Anil Kumar and DGP Yash Pal Singhal to address media at 12 pm in Chandigarh.
A meeting is underway at Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence over the Jat reservation issue. The Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, are present along with BJP leaders Sanjeev Baliyan, OP Dhankar, Chaudhary Birendra Singh, Ram Lal and Anil Jain.
Normal Life Severely Affected in Haryana, As Jat Agitators Wreck Havoc
Jat leaders, on Friday, refused to withdraw their agitation till a legislation is passed giving quota to the community under the OBC category, even as the authorities in the worst-affected district suspended internet and mobile SMS services due to the stir which has disrupted rail and road traffic.
Normal life has been severely affected in various parts of Haryana with the agitation affecting supplies of essential commodities like milk, vegetables, LPG and petroleum products in several parts of the state including Rohtak, Jind, Bhiwani, Sonepat and Hisar.
The protesters accused Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of resisting their demand as he was “not from the community” even as the state government called an all-party meeting to end the impasse.
The Jat leaders showed no signs of relenting and claimed that they will seek “support” from the community leaders from Uttar Pradesh. They want a written assurance from the government.
“We are not going to withdraw our agitation till our demand is met. We will intensify our agitation in other parts of the state, including Panchkula and Yamunanagar,” All India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti’s national president, Yashapal Malik, said.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)