Chief minister in northern India asks rioters to end violence

Even as the Army moved in to control the situation in the worst affected areas of Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar districts, reports of more violence in Jind, Kaithal and Sonipat districts were received.

Jat (a rural caste) protesters burned several railroad stations and attacked homes of ministers, shops and vehicles in several towns in Haryana state, Indian media reports said.

An official said an advisory was issued to Malaysians in the border city of Gurgoun located about 45 minutes drive from the capital to avoid areas effected by the riots.

Curfew was imposed in Hisar, Sonipat and Jind towns after violence.

Violent protests in northern India over caste-based quotas in jobs and education have left four people dead and almost 80 injured, officials said. Five people were injured in Rohtak. At least one person was killed.

He said 13 army columns have reached the state to assist the administration and 10 more columns are being airlifted, while 10 companies of paramilitary forces have reached the state and 23 more are on their way. The identity of the fourth is not yet known. One person was killed when soldiers opened fire on an unruly mob in Jhajjar.

The train services have been badly hit in the state in the wake of the pro-reservation agitation. Jhajjar, Buddha Khed, Julana and Pillu Kheda were among the seven stations which were set afire, a railway spokesperson said, adding that two track machines were also burnt at Pillu Kheda.

India’s largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki shut down its Manesar and Gurgaon plants – which produce 5,000 cars per day – owing to shortage of components due to the week-long agitation which has severely affected road and rail traffic.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has appealed to the protesters to stop the violence and his Bharatiya Janata Party has invited them to hold talks with the party’s central leadership.

A senior local police officer warned the situation was tense in Jhajjar as Jat protesters kept up their agitation.

Demanding the inclusion of the Jats in the OBC category, agitating Jat leaders today rejected the offer made by Haryana government and asserted that their agitation would continue till their demand is met. “There is no solid offer made by Haryana government”. Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Director of Intelligence Bureau Dineshwar Sharma, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar were also present for the meeting at Rajanth’s residence in New Delhi. “We would also appeal the village elders to make the youths understand not to join protesters and help us in bringing the situation under control”, he said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday chaired a high-level emergency meeting to discuss further course of action in the matter. They said they wanted to place their demands before him.