Jats call off march to Delhi after talks with Haryana govt, metro services to remain unaffected

The Jat protests that were planned in Delhi on Monday have been called off, the organising body said on Sunday evening after talks with the Manohar Khattar-led Haryana government.

Metro services will largely remain unaffected on Monday as the planned Jat protests were called off on Sunday evening following talks with the Manohar Khattar-led Haryana government.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar (extreme left, sitting) with Union minister Birender Singh at a meeting with a delegation of Jat leaders led by Yashpal Malik (extreme right, sitting) in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

“Our agitation and march towards Delhi has been called off,” said Yashpal Malik, the chairperson of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS), PTI reported.

Malik’s announcement came as Khattar held a press conference saying the Centre and state would soon begin the process of giving Jats reservation, the key demand of the community.

Those protesting had planned to march to Delhi, which lead to tight security measures being put in place. The national capital was fortified on Sunday itself, with metro connectivity scheduled to be cut off beyond Delhi borders.

Following the decision to call off the agitation, police announced that all metro stations in Delhi-NCR will remain open. However, exits from Patel Chowk,Central Secretariat,Udyog Bhawan and Lok Kalyan Marg station will remain closed on Monday.

The AIJASS was denied permission to carry out a march to Parliament. Instead, they threatened to block all highways leading to the capital over their demand for the reservation and withdrawal of cases against all Jats during last year’s protests in neighbouring Haryana.

A superintendent of police and a deputy superintendent of police were among nine policemen injured in clashes with protestors who were prevented from marching toward Delhi.

The call to march to Delhi had left the city on tenterhooks as protesters threatened to block entry points and various agencies involved in providing essential services to the national capital.

(With inputs from agencies)