New Delhi: Jat leaders on Thursday threatened
to block roads from Sunday if the government does not give in
to their demand for inclusion in the 27 per cent OBC
reservation regime.
The leaders also said the community will be forced to
‘seal’ the borders of Delhi and deprive the capital of water,
electricity and oil if their ‘just demands’ were not met
within the next three days.
“We are on a non-violent agitation now. It should not
be seen as weakness. If need be we can, go the other way. If
our agitation turns violent, the government will be
responsible,” Col (Retd) OP Sindhu, National President of Jat
Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti, told reporters.
He said the current rail blockade will continue though
the government has asked for three days time to find a
solution to their demands.
Sindhu said they were not asking for a separate quota
for Jats and their demand was for inclusion in the present OBC
quota regime. "We had land earlier and we have lost it. Our
youths have no jobs.
"The unemployed youths are getting into crime. Sixty
per cent of the convicts in Haryana jails are from the
community and out of this, 90 per cent are in the age group of
20 to 30 years. The youth are entering the world of crime
because they are unemployed. So we need quota," Sindhu said.
When pointed out that their rail blockade was causing
inconvenience to common people, he said they have not blocked
roads. "People can use roads. We are forced to block rail
traffic. If the government gives in to our demands, then there
will be no agitation," he said.
PTI
