Quota row: Jats put off agitation in Haryana till April 3

Chandigarh: The quota agitation by Jats in Haryana was put off till April 3, Friday, with the community leaders agreeing to give the state government time to get a reservation bill passed during the ongoing Assembly session that ends on March 31.

An announcement in this regard was made by All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti President Yashpal Malik after the Jat leaders held talks with Haryana Chief Secretary and DGP here.

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"We have given time to Haryana government to bring and pass the Jat reservation Bill by March 31 (when the ongoing Budget session ends)," Malik said.

"If the government does not pass the reservation Bill by March 31, then we shall chalk out our next course of action in our meeting on April 3 to be held in Delhi," he added.

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Replying to questions, Malik said "there will be no agitation till April 3."

He appealed to other leaders of Jat community also not to hold any agitation or protest in the state till April 3.

Haryana government had already assured the Jat leaders that it will bring the bill to provide for reservation to Jats and four other communities in the state during the current session of the Assembly.

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Malik expressed satisfaction over the discussion held with the officials of Haryana government to chalk out a "workable solution".

"We are fully satisfied with the talks at today's meetingand would appeal to the people not to resort to any protest," Malik said.

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"During the meeting, we were assured on behalf of Haryana CM that Bill will be passed in the ongoing budget session in the state," the Jat leader said.

However, he said the leaders were not shown any draft of the Bill which they want to check.

Also read: Bill on Jat quota will be passed in ongoing session: Haryana

He also said that the Jats want reservation in BC (Backward Class) category and that the community is getting ready for agitation for quota in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Jammu & Kashmir.

On the issue of withdrawal of the cases, Malik said they were assured that if any false cases was registered against Jats, they would be withdrawn.

"We were also assured that we can file complaint against any officer for his role during Jat agitation to SSP or DC," he said.

"The main talking point in this meeting was reservation and under which category we want it... Other than this, we had 4 to 5 very important demands, like all arrests taking place in Jhajjar, Sonipat and whole of Haryana should be stopped, proper investigation should be held and local people should be part of it."

When the last agitation got over, the government had promised to pay Rs 10 lakh for family and kin of the dead.

"We asked the government to do what they promised. We want unity and brotherhood among the youth of the state, khaps, and all 36 castes and groups and want to maintain peace and calm in the state," Malik said.

Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, while giving details of the meeting, said Jat leaders have assured the government that till the state assembly is in session they will not resort to any type of agitation or protest.

He said the Committee headed by him to review Jat reservation has already submitted its report to the state government.

"The matter is under the consideration of the state government after which the Council of Ministers will decide on the format of the Jat reservation bill," he said.

"We assured them that every suggestion of theirs will be considered and the final decision (on the Jat reservation bill) lies on the Council of Ministers and the state assembly," the Chief Secretary said.

He said they sought the views of the Jat delegation that will be considered while finalizing the bill.

If need be another round of discussions can be held with the Jat leaders before the finalization of the bill, he said.

Dhesi said the delegation was told that their suggestion for inclusion of Jat reservation in Schedule 9 if the total reservation exceeds the 50 per cent limit would also be considered.

Malik had suggested that if the reservation exceeds more than the 50 per cent the Schedule 9 route can be adopted for which the Centre would have to make necessary amendments in the Parliament.

Malik said they gave a seven-point memorandum to the Chief Secretary D S Dhesi and Director General of Police (DGP) Yashpal Malik.

"The government has assured to consult us again during the drafting of the bill and before its presentation in the state assembly for its passage," he said.

Six of the seven points included quota for Jats, action against officers who did excesses on protestors; Jats quota be in the same list in the state and at the Centre; no arrest of any protestor without any proof against him and no harassment to any Jat; adequate compensation to the victims; review of false cases and their cancellation.

He said that the seventh point - formation of a committee at the Centre - had already been accepted with the formation of the committee headed by Union Minister M Venkaih Naidu.

Malik said the officials assured them of review of all cases registered against Jats and cencellation of false cases.

He said the government asked them to give complaints against officers, who indulged in excesses to the Parkash Singh-led SIT or to local district civil and police officials.

He said that Jats already enjoyed reservation in eight states which he did not detail. "Our next target will be to get reservation for Jats in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir," he added.

He said that a private member had submitted a bill for providing reservation to the Jats at the Centre. The central government should adopt this bill for passage in the Parliament, Malik said.

The Backward Class quota is bifurcated in two categories BC-A and BC-B having 16 and 11 per cent reservation respectively.

Malik said that the state could either give Jats reservation in BC-B category or include it in the Schedule 9 which would have to be passed by the Centre.

The community had earlier demanded 10 per cent reservation for Jats.

To a question at media interaction, the DGP said the 29 companies of Central Para Military Forces which had come here from outside would stay for some more time. "They will remain in Haryana," he said.

Singhal said he had assured the Jats, who expressed apprehension of arrest of innocent Jats, that no innocent would be arrested or harassed.

"If any false case has been filed, an inquiry will be held and steps initiated for the cancellation of the case in the court," he assured the Jat leaders.

He said they suggested to the Jat leaders that they could form a committee of 21 members in each of the district which could receive complaints of false cases against members of the Jat community.

"The details should be given to the local Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) after which we will act and satisfy the Jat leaders," the DGP said.

The DGP said they told the delegation that those who indulged in arson and violence did not belong to one community. "We sought their support in identifying such elements to which they agreed," Singhal said.

On their complaint of wrong arrests, the DGP said, "We assured them that if any person has been wrongly arrested, we will probe and get the person discharged if he was innocent."

Regarding complaint of the Jat leaders about excesses committed by police and civil officers, Singhal said, "We asked Jats to cooperate with the Parkash Singh Committee (in giving information about excesses by officers). If not to the Committee they can give the details to us."

The DGP said "we assured the delegation that no innocent would be harassed or arrested. Action will be taken only against those who indulged in arson and violence besides conspiracy to which they agreed."