Jat stir: ML Khattar takes stock of situation

Chandigarh, Feb 20: With Haryana on the boil in the wake of the violent Jat stir, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday held a key meeting with his ministers and top officials to take stock of the situation.

Apart from Khattar and senior ministers, top bureaucrats including Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home), State DGP attended the meeting, official sources said. The sources said that Khattar was getting regular feedback on the situation and giving necessary directions.

Fresh incidents of violence were today reported in Haryana as the Jat stir for quota intensified with protestors torching a railway station in Jind even as the Army conducted a flag march in two curfew-bound districts of Rohtak and Bhiwani, while curfew has now also been clamped in Jhajjar.

Earlier in the day, Khattar had made a fresh appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony. "I appeal to all my fellow Haryanvis to maintain law & order in the State, and ensure that harmony is maintained in society," he tweeted.

Khattar had recently held talks with Jat and Khap leaders here, but these failed to bear fruit as the protesters remained adamant on their main demand of OBC quota in government jobs and rejected his announcement of enhancement of the quota of reservation for Economically Backward Classes in the state from 10 to 20 per cent.

PTI