Apex court says violence will not solve any problem

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the agitating Jats community members of Haryana to maintain peace and brotherhood, saying violence would not solve any problem.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice U U Lalit asked the people to observe harmony and avoid resorting to destruction of property as a batch of advocates sought urgent intervention from the court with the violence causing huge loss to lives and property.

Though the apex court refused to hear the PIL filed by advocate Anil Jain on urgent basis, the bench observed: “We also appeal to the people for tolerance, brotherhood and harmony. One community should not fight with other communities. It is no one’s interest.”

Advocates Jinendra Jain and Anil Jain submitted that the agitation by Jat community members has turned “brutally violent” and even miscreants resorted to large-scale arson and looting of public and private property. They said more than 10 precious lives have been lost in the agitation, thousands have got injured and property worth thousands of crores have been destroyed.

They sought direction to the Centre to impose President’s rule in Haryana and Army and paramilitary forces to take control of the situation.

Though Army has been called in, the administration was not allowing it to take full control in the affected state in general and districts like Rohtak in particular, the counsel submitted.

In the petition, Jain submitted that the citizens living in the area were under constant fear of losing their lives as they witnessed incidents of businesses being looted and torched in front of their eyes.

“More than 100 cars parked in a Maruti car showroom on the outskirts of Rohtak City were burnt. In last three days, almost all the vehicles parked on roadside as well as commercial property including hotels, showrooms, shops, etc have been looted and burnt by the mob. There is a total lack of any efforts to control the mob,” the petitioner submitted.