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Jat quota demand divides Haryana BJP

Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini says Jat leaders in the party creating pressure on CM; wants Khattar to act tough against protesters

Updated on: Feb 13, 2016, 18:10:52 IST
Hindustantimes | By , Rohtak
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The rift between Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jat leaders and Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini is getting wider day by day due to ongoing war of words over the demand for reservation in government jobs for the community.

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A recent statement of finance minister Capt Abhimanyu has sparked another controversy in which, without naming anybody, he reportedly said the people should be aware of the “fools” who wanted to divide society and politicians should read the Constitution carefully, before making statements about creation of the Rajya Sabha.

However, the finance minister could not be contacted for his comment, but one of his close aides said, “Capt sahab did not name anybody and had only cautioned people against getting misled by fools who wanted to divide society.”

This earned a sharp reaction from Raj Kumar Saini, who accused Jat leaders in the BJP of creating pressure on the chief minister over their quota demand.

“Now, Jat leaders of the BJP are creating pressure on the chief minister over reservation, but the CM should also think about the other 35 communities, who had voted for the party to make a non-Jat chief minister in the state,” said Saini while talking to Hindustan Times.

On verbal attacks of Jat leaders from BJP on him, he said, “I am not scared of anybody. I am answerable to the people of backward community, they (Jats) have already grabbed more than 50% of the posts in general category. Now they want a share in the rights of the backward classes.”

Saini also slammed the leaders of the backward communities for not raising the voice against Jat leaders. “It is ironical that the leaders who were sent to the corridors of power by the backward communities are not speaking on this issue,” he said.

He urged the chief minister to use force to remove Jats from railway tracks. “The CM should take a tough stand and remove Jats from the railway tracks in Hisar. If the state government does not have enough police force, they can take help from the Centre.”

It is worth mentioning here that jat leaders in the BJP, including Capt Abhimanyu, Subhash Barala, OP Dhankar and Birender Singh, had stated that the BJP was in favour of reservation to the Jat community. But on the other hand, the first time MP Raj Kumar Saini was the only leader in the party who was against the demand.

  • Neeraj Mohan
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Neeraj Mohan

    Neeraj Mohan is a senior journalist with over 18 years of experience in political, agricultural, environmental and ground reporting across Haryana, Punjab, the National Capital Region and National Bureau. Associated with Hindustan Times for over a decade, he has also worked with leading media organisations including The Tribune, The Sunday Guardian and The Financial World. His reporting spans electoral politics, governance, agriculture, farmers’ issues, rural economy, climate change, pollution, and socio-economic challenges affecting communities at the grassroots level. Recognised for his field-based journalism and analytical approach, Neeraj has consistently focused on capturing ground realities while examining the impact of policy decisions on people and institutions. Over the years, he has covered major political developments, agriculture reforms, environmental concerns, and public interest issues, bringing together investigative insights, extensive field reporting and perspectives from farmers, policymakers, experts and stakeholders. His stories aim to bridge the gap between decision-making centres and the people directly affected by them. With a focus on accountability journalism, Neeraj continues to report on issues that shape public discourse, highlighting the intersection of politics, society, environment and development.Read More