Rohtak/Chandigarh: Haryana saw relative calm for the first time in nine days on Tuesday as Jats seeking job quotas withdrew from the streets or were chased away. Highway and rail traffic was restored even as security forces were on the alert for clashes between Jats and non-Jats.
In a sign of people’s anger over the mindless violence that rocked the state, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar faced angry traders and residents in Rohtak town and was forced to retreat and leave for Delhi.
Read Har govt to bring in bill for OBC quota to Jats: BJP
In a fine balancing act, he said the Jat community will get job quotas under a special provision and the OBC quota of 27 percent won’t be disturbed. The OBC communities don’t want Jats to be included in the OBC bracket.
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“The government will make a separate provision for (Jats) reservation,” said a stern-looking Khattar, whose government has drawn widespread flak for failing to contain the frenzy on the streets.
Read Jats can file review petition in Supreme Court
In New Delhi, Khattar attended a meeting with union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkiaih Naidu and other ministers who are part of a high-powered panel studying the issue of reservation for Jats in other states.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court, meanwhile, has directed the Haryana government to submit a status report on the Jat agitation by next Monday.
