New Delhi/Chandigarh:
Yielding to pressure from agitating Jats, Government tonight announced setting up of a committee under a senior Central minister to examine the quota demand for the community in government jobs even as fresh incidents of arson and violence left two more dead taking the toll in the eight-day long stir to 12.
A late night announcement by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi said that a committee headed by Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu has been formed to look into the demand for reservation in central govt jobs for Jats.
“I would like to make things clear regarding the ongoing protest. Just now, we have formed a committee which will be headed by our senior Cabinet minister Venkaiah Naidu. The committee has been asked to file a comprehensive report to find the soluction of the issue as soon as possible,” he told reporters.
“I appeal to to the people of Haryana to help maintain clam and peace,” he said after a meeting he had with Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Manohar Parrikar to take stock of the situation in the state.
The meeting came shortly after a delegation of Jats had a meeting with the Home Minister where it was stated that a Bill will be brought in the coming session of Haryana assembly to give OBC status to Jats in the state.
Even as some fresh incidents of violence were reported, protestors started lifting blockades at some places late in the evening following Centre’s assurances.
Late evening reports said that blockades from some national and state highways including Saharanpur-Ambala at Yamunanagar, Paonta Sahib-Yamunanagar, Ambala-Kaithal, Saharanpur-Pipli-Kurukshetra, Zirakpur-Parwanoo and Ladwa-Shahbad were being lifted.
Normalcy was also reported to be returning to some other cities including Kaithal and officials expected that by tomorrow situation would improve considerably following today’s developments in Delhi.
Haryana Home Secretary (HS) P K Das told media here this evening that one person was killed at Akbarpur Barota in Sonipat district near the Munak canal headwork.
The second person was killed in clash between two groups (Jats and Non-Jats) at Hansi in Hissar district, Das said.
He said that some “Dhabhas” along the Delhi Ambala National Highway near Murthal in Sonipat district were damaged by protestors today.
