Life thrown out of gear in UP districts

Agitating Jats on Sunday came down on to the streets in large numbers in several western Uttar Pradesh districts and blocked important highways and rail routes disrupting movement of vehicular traffic and trains throwing life out of gear.

According to police sources here, members of the community had also gathered in large numbers near the Ganga Canal in Muradnagar in Ghazaiabad to what the authorities apprehend stop supply of water to Delhi. The national capital was already facing shortage of water after the agitating Jats stopped water supply from Munak canal in Haryana.

Security had been tightened around the canal, sources here said.

Reports said that Jats blocked traffic at Mathura, Binjore, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and some other near by districts, where they were in sizeable numbers. Agitating members of the community also blocked traffic on the busy Yamuna Expressway connecting Noida and Agra bringing movement of vehicles to a complete halt. Traffic continued to be affected on NH 58 and NH one owing to the agitation.

Jats have reportedly forced closure of offices at Bawali Halt railway station in Baghpat district and squatted on the tracks disrupting movement of trains between Delhi and Shamil in UP.

Some trains were also stopped at different railway stations by the agitating community members, reports said.

Senior BJP leaders, including some ministers, also faced heat of the ongoing Jat agitation for reservation in jobs under OBC category. The Jats on Sunday held demonstrations before residences of Union ministers V K Singh in Ghaziabad, Sanjiv Baliyan in Muzaffarnagar and BJP MP Rajendra Agarwal in Meerut town.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) and lawyers' associations in Meerut and Bijnore have also extended support to the agitation.