HC directs UP govt to clear tracks of jat protestors

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the state government to immediately ensure the clearance of railway tracks in Amroha, 350 km northwest of the state capital, where Jats have been squatting for the last 14 days, disrupting about 650 trains on the Delhi-Lucknow route. HT reports.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the state government to immediately ensure the clearance of railway tracks in Amroha, 350 km northwest of the state capital, where Jats have been squatting for the last 14 days, disrupting about 650 trains on the Delhi-Lucknow route.

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The Jat community of western UP (population approximately 3 million) has been seeking the status of Other Backward Castes to get reservation in central government services.

The court action followed Union home minister P Chidambaram's meeting with Jat leaders in Delhi on Thursday, which failed to resolve the issue. The issue snowballed into a political controversy as chief minister Mayawati supported the demand of the Jat community.

Taking suo moto cognizance of related media reports, chief justice F I Rebello on Friday constituted a division bench consisting of Justice Uma Nath Singh and Justice VK Dixit to look into the matter. The court summoned principal secretary (Home) Kunwar Fateh Bahadur Singh and DGP Karamveer Singh and directed them to take immediate action.

Reacting to the court order, state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said the state government was aware of its responsibility and would do the needful.

The court cautioned that in case of failure, the officers would individually be held responsible and the matter would proceed as per law. It also observed that if the state government failed to clear the tracks it (court) would direct for deployment of paramilitary force.

Jaipur: Rajasthan, too, has been totally cut off from the rest of India. Over 100 trains were affected on Friday, due to the Jat agitation.