Jat agitation: Fresh arson, violence keep #Haryana tense; death toll 10

Protesters, police clash near Ballabgarh; vehicles damaged, journalists beaten up by cops

Situation on Sunday continued to remain tense in Haryana, with fresh reports of arson and violence reported from several parts of the state hit by Jat quota stir.

Despite various political leaders, including Chief Minister Manohar Lal  Khattar, appealing protesting Jats to maintain calm and peace, the incidents of violence and arson continued during the night in various parts of the state, crippling the normal life in worst affected places like Rohtak, Jind,  Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Sonepat, Hisar.

Protesters last night set on fire an ATM of a bank and burnt official records of a cooperative bank in Loharu of Bhiwani district.

As violence and arson spread to several parts of the state, the Haryana  government has sought  additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force  and more columns of Army to be deployed in the state to control the ongoing agitation.

As many as 15 companies of India Reserve Battalion and Haryana Armed Police, three companies of paramilitary forces and two columns of Army have already been deployed.

So far ten persons have been killed in the state, while 154 First Information Reports have been registered.

LIVE UPDATES

• DELHI: Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda begins fast at Jantar Mantar for ‘peace in the state’, asks the state government to find amicable solution to reservation issue without delay.
• DELHI: Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and CLP leader Kiran Chaudhary join ex-CM Hooda at Jantar Mantar.
• CHANDIGARH: No untoward incident since last night, claims state government. Home Secretary PK Dass says situation in Jhajjar and Rohtak under control; 50 protestors arrested; Army’s 69 columns deployed in both cities.
• CHANDIGARH: DGP appeals to protesters to maintain law and order and vacate railway tracks and roads.
• PANIPAT: Jat protesters gives ultimatum to administration, to start marching towards Chandigarh if no decision is taken till 2 pm.
• JHAJJAR: Chhotu Ram Dharmshala set on fire; Rao Tula Ram’s statue vandalised, Ahirs start gathering to protest the incident.
• FARIDABAD: Clash between protesters and police on NH-2 near Ballabgarh; vehicles damaged, journalists beaten up by police.
• GURGAON: City staring at water crisis; district administration appeal for judicious use, claiming just a day’s reserve supply left.
• GURGAON: A railway halt room at Basai Dhankot set on fire, police claim the room was set afire by a drunkard.
• KARNAL: Several roads leading to city blocked by protestors, vehicles heading towards Delhi being diverted via Meerut road.
• ROHTAK: Traders and shopkeepers of Quila road market shift their valuable items to safer places.

Army holds flag march

Flag marches by the Army notwithstanding, arsonists had a field day, looting and setting shops and business establishments on fire and blocking roads and rail tracks. Two persons were killed and 10, including policemen, were injured in a cross-fire between protesters and Army personnel in Jhajjar. The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital.An unruly mob went on the rampage setting the Jhajjar police station, BDO office, PWD rest house, Roadways buses and PRO’s jeep on fire. The mob threw stones at the residence of Haryana Agriculture Minister Om Prakash Dhankar.In Bhiwani district, protesters threw a petrol bomb at the Charkhi-Dadri depot in the wee hours. Two buses were destroyed. Fire engines were rushed and damage to more buses was prevented. At Hansi in Hisar, former minister Attar Singh Saini’s brother was shot at. His condition was said to be critical.

Choppers drop troops

As the protesting Jats last night dug up roads to prevent the troops from entering Rohtak, the Army today used choppers to drop troops at the Rohtak Police Lines. Army sources said all main roads leading to Rohtak from Delhi, Hisar and Jaipur had been dug up. Despite a flag march in the city, the protesters, mostly students on a dharna in front of the MDU gates, refused to budge.The civil authorities had on Friday requisitioned Army troops for nine violence-hit districts. A school and the office of a newspaper owned by state minister Captain Abhimanyu was targeted by the protesters in Rohtak late last evening. A shopping mall was vandalised and a liquor vend looted and set afire.A mob broke into the minister’s house and set it on fire. The minister’s family was airlifted to Chandigarh.In Faridabad district, traffic on NH-2, also known as Mathura Road, remained disrupted near Prithla, Hodal and Bahin villages till noon.

Maruti halts operations

Maruti has stalled operations in its two units in Manesar and one in Gurgaon in view of the law and order situation. A tehsil building and a cooperative bank were set on fire in Fatehabad district.The state DGP, Yashpal Singhal, a police station and a petrol station was set ablaze in Meham. He said while 13 columns of the Army had arrived and 10 more were being airlifted, 23 companies of the paramilitary forces were on the way.The DGP claimed that the situation had improved since yesterday. Meanwhile, the BJP high command has asked Birender Singh, OP Dhankar and Sanjeev Baliyan to negotiate with the Jats. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Manohar Parrikar, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley spoke with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval late last evening and reviewed the situation in the state.

Notice to K’shetra MP

A show-cause notice has been issued to Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini, who has been issuing statements against reservation for the Jats. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked his MLAs to leave for their constituencies and speak with the protesters to end the impasse. The Chief Minister’s CM’s Barara rally, scheduled for Sunday, has been cancelled.The Indian National Lok Dal has demanded President’s rule, holding the BJP responsible for the chaos.Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda has announced he will fast at Jantar Mantar tomorrow for “peace in the state.” He claimed he wanted to go to Rohtak, but the district administration had denied him permission. With PTI inputs