JOIN USThe ongoing protest by the Jat community in Haryana seeking quota in jobs turned violent on Wednesday, forcing the administration to call in the Army.
The move came after protestors set a police post on fire and damaged public and private property, including vehicles and a bank.
The protesters resorted to violence a day after the death of 20-year old Sandeep, a resident of Mayyar village in Hissar, allegedly in police firing. Several protesters and a police officer have been injured since Tuesday.
The body of the youth was brought from a local hospital after a postmortem was performed on it and kept on the railway track seeking action against the “policemen” responsible for the firing.
The police resorted to firing after Jats clashed with them near Ramayan village in Hissar. The protesters have been demanding that the police release their leaders and others who were rounded up by the police since Monday.
The administration also announced the closure of all educational institutions in Hissar for three days. The Deputy Commissioner of Hissar, Amit Aggarwal, said the decision to close the schools was a precautionary measure to avert any loss to property or life.
Road and rail traffic have been badly effected in the area. The Haryana government, meanwhile, on Wednesday accused the Opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leaders of playing a role in the pandemonium in Hissar, a charge strongly denied by the party.
Official sources said the Army had been asked to be on standby. “The cantonment is less than a km away from the troubled spot. They can move in a few minutes. Till 9 pm, they had not moved in,” the sources added.
The Army was asked to standby around 2 pm and it was prepared to assist the civilian authorities on a short notice, the source said.