UP wakes up to Jat protest — a little late

The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel to protect the water plant at Muradnagar, reports Peeyush Khandelwal.

The Uttar Pradesh government has deployed Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel to protect the water plant at Muradnagar.

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The move follows last week's agitation by Jat leaders who had cut off water supply to Delhi from the two water regulators last week, police said.

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ragubir Lal said two companies — consisting around 280 personnel, including 60 women — have been deployed as per a Central Government decision to protect sensitive water plants.

“The RAF will be stationed near the plant for the time being to prevent any such future attempts by the Jat leaders,” Lal said.

A flag march in neighbouring Jat-dominated villages was also taken out with the help of the local police.

Last week, around 10,000 Jat protesters from various states in North India laid siege to the water plant in Muradnagar, demanding OBC reservation in Central Government services.

They had downed the gates of the canal that supplies 240 million gallons of water per day to Delhi.

The Bhagirathi and Sonia Vihar regulators in the upper Ganga canal region supply around 25 per cent of Delhi's water demands.

The water supply was restored after protesters met secretary-level officials from the Union Ministry of Social Welfare Delhi who assured them of a positive hearing.

The Jat leaders had threatened to cut off water supply again if there was no positive outcome by July 10.

“We may again cut off water supply and will disrupt the Commonwealth Games by snapping oil, gas, milk, vegetable and power supplies if our demands are not considered seriously by the central government,” Jat Arakshhan Sangharsh Samiti president Yash Pal Singh Malik had earlier told Hindustan Times.