Yielding to pressure from agitating Jats, the government on Sunday 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 Sunday 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 government 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 solution of the issue as soon as possible,” he said.
“I appeal 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, protesters started lifting blockades at some places late in the evening following the 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 Monday the situation would improve considerably.
