Haryana releases Jat leaders, stir yet to end

Over 100 leaders of the agitating Jat community were released by the authorities in Haryana Sunday evening but the community was yet to take its decision on ending the agitation that began over 10 days back.

Sources said that the released Jat leaders, numbering 101, had reached the main agitation point at Mayyar village, 25 km from here, and were holding a meeting to decide their future course of action.

The Bhupinder Singh Hooda government was left embarrassed Sunday after the Jats did not end their stir even after their leaders’ release, despite the state government late Saturday announcing the agitation had ended.

The leaders, who were arrested last week as the agitation seeking Other Backward Classes (OBC) category quota for Jats in government jobs turned violent, were released after courts in Hisar and Tohana towns allowed their release.

The agitating Jats had set the condition that no talks would take place till their leadership was released.

Last week’s violence had left one youth dead and nearly 25 others injured. The youth Sandeep, 20, was killed in exchange of fire between the police and protesters.

The body of the victim was kept in a glass coffin at the main agitation point since Wednesday, and the Jats refused to perform his last rites.

Normal life was thrown out of gear in Hisar district and adjoining areas of Bhiwani, Jind and Rohtak districts as the agitating community continued their blockade of roads and railway tracks last week.

Supplies of fuel and other essential commodities in the district had been severely hit during the agitation.

Jats had decided to intensify their agitation after the Haryana government refused to release their leaders, and road and rail services to Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan and other parts of Haryana were severely affected due to the blockade.

The protesters also placed trees and boulders on the highways connecting Hisar with Delhi, Jind, Bhiwani and Chandigarh and also blocked the Hisar-Delhi and Hisar-Bathinda railway tracks.

The Jats blame Hooda for going back on earlier promises and using delaying tactics and force to break up the agitation.