14 Sep : Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday said the Jat agitation in the state had been deferred after the state government conceded three of demands of the agitators.
The state government has accepted the three main demands of the protesters, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said after a meeting with the representatives of the Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti spearheading the stir.
Hooda claimed that the protesters have decided to suspend their agitation and cremate the body of the youth in order to restore normal life.
The accepted demands include a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the youth killed in police firing, job to a member of his family and registration of a case against Subhash Yadav, who was Monday night removed as Superintendent of Police (SP), Hissar, he said and appealed to people to maintain peace.
Giving a clean chit to the Sangharsh Samiti leading the agitation, Hooda said the damage to government and private property, including civil and police vehicles, was done by anti-social elements and not by the Jat protesters.
Spokesmen of the protesters including Jai Parkash said in a statement that they have also demanded that cases registered against the protesters after the violence at Mayyar in Hissar district be withdrawn and no arrest should be made.
Violence had erupted in Hissar and adjoining areas on Monday after members of the Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti demanding quota for the community under the OBC category blocked several roads.
A youth was killed and over 10 persons, including policemen, were injured in violent clashes between the protesters and the police.
Hooda said that in view of the situation turning violent the administration had to clamp curfew in Hissar and also put the army on alert.
The local administration had deployed para military forces to supplement the police, which was already deployed in the troubled areas, in order to prevent the situation from worsening.
He said on 5th April, 2010 he had written to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to favourably consider the demand of the Jats for inclusion in the OBC category.
The Centre has in principle agreed to include Jats in the OBC category, he said adding that further action in the matter was awaited.
Meanwhile, Jat community indulged in violence for the second day on Tuesday, setting afire buildings, looting trucks and blocking road and rail traffic.
In view of the volatile situation, curfew was clamped in entire Hisar district, Deputy Commissioner Yudhvir Khyalia said.
Activists of Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti, demanding quota for the community under the OBC category, blocked several roads in the district leading to suspension of traffic on the Hisar-Delhi National Highway 10 was suspended.
Central forces including the Rapid Action Force (RAF) had been deployed in sensitive areas.
Samiti President Yash Pal Malik has warned the central and state governments that if its demand for quota was not met by 3rd October, the Samiti will intensify its agitation and block all the roads leading to Delhi.
The All-India Jat Mahasabha has announced that its members will organise a token hunger strike tomorrow at all the district headquarters of the state to press for the demand.