Now, ruling, opposition leaders extend support to protesting Jats

Rohtak: Sensing the mood of the Jat protesters, leaders of various political parties in Haryana -- from the ruling BJP to opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Congress -- reached dharna sites across the state on Saturday.

From BJP, Badhra MLA Sukhwinder Singh Mandhi reached Charkhi Dadri to declared his support for the Jats. Addressing the gathering at Sector 8 in Dadri, Mandhi said he had come to extend his support to the community for the sake of brotherhood.

“The state government is trying its best to fulfil all the demands. I would also leave no stone unturned to get their demands accepted,” he said.

In Rohtak, local BJP leader Balraj Kundu also announced his support to the dharna by All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) and urged the protesters for a consensus in the community for the demands raised before the government.

INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala, who reached dharna at Jassia village in Rohtak, reiterated his party’s support to the Jats. “Till the chief minister fulfils all the demands raised by the Jat community, I won’t let the state assembly function, which has been scheduled from February 27, start,” said Chautala, who was accompanied by seven party MLAs.

Others who reached Jassia were Julana MLA Parminder Dhull, Dadri MLA Rajdeep Phogat, Rania MLA Ram Chander Kamboj, Uklana MLA Anoop Dhanak, Barwala MLA Ved Narang, Narwana MLA Pritvi Numberdar and Sirsa MLA Makhan Lal Singla.

Chautala also took a swipe at Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, who is the party’s Jat face for backing the community. “If he uses ill language against protesters, he can’t be a Jat blood,” he said.

INLD’s Rohtak district president Satish Nandal had to face a protest after he announced his party’s support to the dharna by Jats. He later dissuaded the protesters by saying that he was there not as a political representative but as a ‘soldier’ of the community.