Next Jat protest will happen in Delhi, warns quota committee

NEW DELHI: The next protest demanding quota for Jats will happen in Delhi, warned the All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti here on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: The next protest demanding quota for Jats will happen in Delhi, warned the All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti here on Saturday.

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The AIJASS issued the threat at the ‘bhaichara’ (brotherhood) rally in Rohtak, where a huge crowd had gathered.

AIJASS national president Yashpal Malik brought along representatives of Patidar, Gujjar and Maratha agitation to raise the demand for quota for Jats, which was stayed by the Punjab and Haryana high court.

Accusing the government of putting up a weak defence in court, the AIJASS chief repeated the community’s demands, including reservation under backward class and withdrawal of cases against those booked during the February stir.

“The government must not force us to go back on the protest route. The next time, we will turn our tractor-trailers towards Delhi,” he said.

The Jat leader announced more rallies in the coming days. The first will be held at Hisar’s Mayyar village on September 13 and the second in Ferozepur district of Punjab on September 28.

“In election-bound states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, Jats will vote in favour of only those parties that support our reservation,” said Malik. AIJASS members from UP and Punjab also supported him.

The Jat leader also attacked Kurukshetra MP, Raj Kumar Saini, without naming him. “A minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying hard to create a caste-divide. We will not let it happen this time,” he said. Malik also attacked Jat ministers (Captain Abhimanyu and OP Dhankar) in the BJP for betraying the community.

Demanding an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the February violence, Malik said “Our men died due to the BJP’s conspiracy, and we want everything to come out in the open.”