The threat to stop essential supplies, including oil from the Mathura refinery, to Delhi from March 17, today prompted the Centre to invite agitating Jats for a dialogue on their demand for reservation in government jobs under the OBC category. A delegation of Jats from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is likely to hold discussions on Wednesday with Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and the Union Social Justice Minister Mukul Wasnik. The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha and also the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. While an assurance was given in the Rajya Sabha that the Government would make a statement on the issue tomorrow, the Haryana Vidhan Sabha decided against adopting a resolution in favour of the demand, as suggested by the INLD. There was pandemonium for more than hour with the INLD alleging that the Backward Classes Commission had rejecetd the letter of the Haryana Chief Minister forwarded to it by the PMO. The CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda clarified that the Commission had said it had no power to ‘review’ reservation. Hence the letter was forwarded to the Social Justice Ministry, where it was being examined. The agitation by the Jats, who have been squatting on railway tracks and putting up road blockades, has already led to cancellation of 320 trains by Northern Railways and 122 trains by North Central Railways. As many as 434 trains had to be diverted also during the last ten days, according to railway officials. A group of Jats also commenced an indefinite fast at Jind today.
he Jat reservation agitation dominated the proceedings of the Haryana Assembly here today with Ajay Singh Chautala of the INLD raising the issue during zero hour. The issue generated so much heat that members almost came to blows. After Ram Kishan Fauji (Cong) said something, Abhey Singh Chautala trooped into the well of the House and challenged Fauji. Sensing the belligerent mood of the members, marshals also trooped in even without Speaker Kuldeep Sharma telling them to do so. However, Abhey was sent back to his seat by his elder brother Ajay and Ashok Arora (INLD). But other INLD members moved towards Fauji. Certain Congress members, led by Shakuntala Khatak, also moved to the well of the House. Before the situation could worsen further, the INLD members retreated but sat in dharna in the well of the House. Intervening, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said if Fauji had made any remark against Leader of the Opposition Om Prakash Chautala, he would withdraw it. But if he was referring to those who had been blocking the rail track, he was absolutely right. Fauji clarified that he had not referred to the INLD chief. Kuldeep Sharma admonished the members for creating a ruckus in the House. Meanwhile, former Speaker Raghuvir Kadian, while giving his personal explanation on what the Leader of the Opposition had said about him earlier, raised the issue of the Jat reservation and demanded that a resolution should be passed. Ajay Singh and Ashok Arora protested and said they were the first to raise the issue and now the ruling party was trying to take a march over them. Former Finance Minister Sampat Singh also supported the Jat reservation. He said he had given a written notice to the Speaker in this regard. Sharma admitted that neither Ajay Singh nor Kadian had given anything in writing and he could not entertain verbal requests. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said the demand of the INLD that reservation for general communities other than the Jats should be on economic criteria was not constitutionally valid. Members seemed to be divided on caste lines. Venod Sharma (Cong) said what Surjewala had said might be right but the House must echo the sentiments of the people of Haryana, who wanted reservation on the basis of economic criteria. From the debate it was obvious that the attitude of both the Congress and the INLD was that of “pehle hum”. The Congress stand was that Hooda had already forwarded the memorandum of the Jat agitators to the Prime Minister for “favourable consideration”. In turn the Prime Minister had sent the memorandum to the Backward Classes Commission. When the Opposition alleged that the commission had turned down the memorandum, Hooda clarified that the commission had decided in 1997 that the Jats could not be granted the status of a Backward Class. Now, the commission had said that it had no power to review its decision. With both parties putting onus of moving the resolution on each other, the Speaker moved on to the listed business of the House.
Where as Kadyan Khap International spokesperson Abhishek Kadyan appeal to all political party leaders to support the OBC cover reservation for JAT's in Haryana and Center both.