- Curfew imposed in Rohtak and Bhiwandi following violence during Jat reservation protest.
- Army called in to contain violence in both districts.
- Two more protestors injured in police firing have died, taking the death toll to three.
Army was deployed in agitation-hit districts of Haryana on Friday evening as large-scale violence by Jat community protesters left three people dead in firing by security forces.
Authorities clamped curfew and issued “shoot-at-sight” orders in the worst-affected Rohtak and Bhiwani districts.
Friday’s violence left three protestors dead and dozens of others injured, police sources said. One person was killed when Border Security Force personnel opened fire in self-defense after being fired upon by a mob. Two other people succumbed to their injuries in hospital after police fired on rampaging mobs. The injured included a BSF trooper.
The unruly mob also indulged in arson — a mall and a gun house in Rohtak town were looted, reports said. A toll plaza was set on fire near Rohtak while another one was damaged near Sampla.
A leaderless mob moving through Rohtak town attacked the office of the DIG, and set the house of Finance Minister Abhimanyu on fire. At some places in the town, black smoke could be seen coming out of property set on fire by the agitators, who even manhandled media persons at some places.
The Haryana government called in the army to contain the situation in eight districts severely affected by the ongoing Jat agitation.
Haryana Director General of Police Y.P. Singhal told media in Chandigarh that the army has been sought for Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonipat, Panipat, Jind, Kaithal, Bhiwani and Hisar districts and that the effort is to deploy the army as soon as possible to control the situation
Three companies of paramilitary forces are already stationed and 30 more companies would be deployed soon.
Jat leader Hawa Singg Sangwan said that the youth have taken over the agitation. “They do not have any organised leader and hence the violence is happening. Some mischievous elements have infiltrated the mobs,” he said.
The authorities have also blocked Internet and SMS services in the affected districts.
Thousands of trucks, carrying supplies and goods, were stranded in the affected districts due to highways and roads being blocked. Over 40 trains including express trains like Kalka-Delhi Shatabdi Express, Pashchim Express and others were cancelled by railway authorities across Haryana on Friday as the agitation escalated.
In Gurgaon, Jat protestors blocked roads, leading to traffic jams and chaos in the city, adjoining the national capital.
Life continued to be affected in most parts of Rohtak, Jhajjar Sonipat, Bhiwani, Jind, Hisar and some other districts as the agitation by Jats for reservation in jobs and educational institutions continued for the sixth day on Friday.
The stir escalated even as the Haryana government called an all-party meeting in Chandigarh to discuss the reservation issue and the Jat protests. The meeting urged the protestors to end their agitation and remove blockades.
Jat leaders however rejected the appeal.
After the all-party meeting, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar said that his government was “in favour of reservation for Jats in the state and is trying to find out ways and means for the same”.
(With inputs from IANS)
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