Jat Leaders Prepare For A Fresh Agitation In January 2017, Promise A 'Peaceful Protest' This Time
All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti AIJSS which is spearheading the pro-quota agitation for the community on Friday announced to renew the next round of protests from the last week of January 2017. The protest will be completely peaceful on similar lines of their agitation in June. The Jat stir for reservation in February had turned ugly when around 30 people had lost their lives and hundreds were injured.
All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJSS), which is spearheading the pro-quota agitation for the community, on Friday announced to renew the next round of protests from the last week of January 2017.
Talking to TOI, AIJJS president Yashpal Malik said the date of the next round of agitation would be announced at a rally to be organized on December 23 at Garhi Sampla in Rohtak to commemorate the 114th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Jat leader Chaudhary Charan Singh.
AP
"Timings of agitation has been planned keeping in view the elections of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to ensure BJP's defeat in these states for failing to fulfil the promise of reservation to Jats under backward class and other demands accepted by the Centre at the time of calling off February 2016 agitation. A statewide agitation will be launched in all districts at designated places from last week of January and will continue till our demand for quota is fulfilled," Malik said.
The president of the umbrella organization of Jat bodies, however, said the protest would be completely peaceful on similar lines of their agitation in June.
Meanwhile, various representatives of Jat organizations led by AIJSS gathered outside BJP's national office on Ashoka Road in Delhi on Friday and submitted a memorandum in the name of party president Amit Shah regarding demands of the community.
The main grievance of the Jat leaders was that after the Supreme Court had quashed the other backward classes (OBC) quota for Jats of nine states on March 17, 2015, PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Shah had invited them at their residences and assured them to restore the quota after removing the discrepancies left by previous regime while giving OBC status to Jats.
AFP
In their memorandum, submitted to Shah, it was alleged that despite a period of more than one-and-a-half years, the PM and ruling party's president has failed to keep their promises.
From November 28 to December 15, the Jat organizations had submitted memorandums regarding their demand for restoration of OBC quota for the community by the Centre to around 100 MPs who were elected from Jat-dominated constituencies.
"We have been begging to the Centre about our legitimate rights for almost two years and BJP is testing our patience by not responding and that is why we have decided to re-launch the next round of agitation from next month," Malik added.
The Jat stir for reservation in February had turned ugly when around 30 people had lost their lives and hundreds were injured. Public and private property worth crores of rupees was also destroyed. However, the protest launched by Jat community in June remained peacefully.
Demands submitted to BJP chief:
- Inclusion of Jats under OBC quota of Centre through fresh bill.
- Action against Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini for his hate speeches causing division in the society
- Withdrawal of cases against Jat youths who were arrested by Haryana police for their alleged role in violence during February agitation.
- Jobs and compensation to those killed during Jat agitation held in February
- Probe by the parliamentary ethics committee against Saini regarding his hate speeches and disqualification from Lok Sabha
