Haryana calm, people count losses

Chandigarh, Feb 24: Haryana remained calm on Wednesday, with people pouring out of their homes in violence-hit districts and supplies of essential commodities restored.

Shops and business establishments, which survived the wrath of the Jat community rioters in the last few days, opened in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jind, Jhajjar, Sonipat, Hisar, Panipat and other districts.

Traders, businessmen, companies and government officials started assessing the damage to immovable and movable property during the peak of the violence in the state.

Several government buildings, private shops, malls, educational institutions, hospitals and showrooms were set on fire by the hooligans. Hundreds of shops were looted and set on fire.

Experts have pegged the losses in Haryana due to the agitation at around Rs.20,000 crore.

Soldiers and paramilitary forces continued to be deployed in the worst affected areas. Traffic was restored on all highways and roads and railway tracks were being repaired to restore railway traffic.

The Jat community is demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Political developments in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) shifted to Delhi where all its Haryana MPs were called to meet Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and some other ministers and legislators are also camping in Delhi.

Non-Jat leaders within the BJP are upset with the party leadership for bowing before the demands of the Jat community which brazenly resorted to violence.

The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) said on Wednesday that the BJP government in the state and Congress leaders were responsible for the mindless violence during the Jat agitation.

"A case should be registered against Bhupinder Singh Hooda as his close aide Varinder Singh was caught on audio tape trying to instigate violence," a party leader said.

IANS