The district administration has been sending notices to Khap leaders and organisers of Jat quota protests in February, which later took a violent turn, leading to death of 30 people and destruction of property worth thousands of crores in the state.
Rohtak city magistrate Ajay Chopra said notices have been sent to as many as 57 Jat leaders. They include Khap leaders who organised the February 14 ‘Jat Swabhiman’ rally after which the community youths blocked Delhi-Hisar highway on NH-10 in Sampla.
The notices are being sent on the orders of additional chief secretary of the Haryana government. In these notices, the administration has demanded a disclosure of their private properties, citing the orders of the Supreme Court in 2009 which states that organisers of violent protests will be held responsible, along with rioters, to compensate for the damages and losses in properties and lives.
An official spokesperson said the administration was currently in the process of issuing such notices and will finish sending them to all the leaders before June 5, the date on which the Jat community has resolved to resume its agitation to protest the stay on the Jat quota by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
The notice sent to the people reads: “The notice has been sent to you because you have been identified as a rioter, provoker, or an organiser of the protest in which loss of innocent lives and damages worth thousands of crores were witnessed. And, even now you continue to play these roles. You have been identified through intelligence reports, media reports and various videos that were made by the police officials during the riots in February.”
{{/usCountry}}The notice sent to the people reads: “The notice has been sent to you because you have been identified as a rioter, provoker, or an organiser of the protest in which loss of innocent lives and damages worth thousands of crores were witnessed. And, even now you continue to play these roles. You have been identified through intelligence reports, media reports and various videos that were made by the police officials during the riots in February.”
{{/usCountry}}Rohtak deputy commissioner Atul Kumar said a claim commissioner will be appointed soon who will take stock of the property disclosure as well as the damages, and decide how to proceed further with the collection of the compensation from these people.
A police spokesperson told HT that those people who have been served notices by the administration will not be allowed to stage dharnas or protests this time. If found to do so, an action will be taken against them, he added. KHAPS, JAT LEADERS CONDEMN NOTICES
Meanwhile, Khaps and other Jat leaders have flayed these notices saying the administration did not conduct any probe before sending these.
“It’s funny how they have asked for my property disclosure and want me to compensate for the losses without even talking to me or conducting any probe. The administration has been randomly sending these notices to whoever they wish, but we will not accept such thing,” head of Nandal Khap Mahender Singh Nandal said. Another khap head Surender Dahiya said the government was being casteist even in sending notices.