INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala alleged that many political conspiracies had taken place in the past to divide the Jat community for vested political interests, but despite these, the community continued to consolidate and strengthen.
Addressing an event organised by the Jat Sevak Sangh in Hisar on Tuesday, Chautala recalled the agitation demanding reservations for the Jat community and four other communities during the previous Congress government.
He alleged that some political leaders had misled the Jat community for their vested interests.
“During the Hooda government, there was a proposal to grant an OBC quota to five castes, including Jats, which was based on political considerations. In an Assembly session during the Hooda government, five castes—Bishnoi, Tyagi, Jat, Mula Jat, and Rod—were promised a separate 10% reservation, with assurances that it would also be adopted at the Centre,” he said.
“However, this was a half-baked move based on incomplete documentation. The issue was amplified to secure votes in the 2014 Assembly polls. Despite this, the BJP came to power, ousting the Congress, and the INLD emerged as the second-largest party in the Assembly in 2014,” he recalled.
The INLD leader said that after the BJP came to power, the quota was struck down by the Supreme Court due to procedural lapses and inadequate documentation.
“I raised the issue in the Assembly, after which the then Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, assured that he would make a statement. The next day, he said a fresh law would be framed to provide reservation. While I welcomed the statement, I questioned the intent and urged the formation of a time-bound committee,” he said.
He added that when nothing came of the CM’s assurance, the agitation began. Subsequently, the government invited leaders of the Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti for talks, which also ended inconclusively.
Chautala said the agitation turned violent in 2016, resulting in the loss of about 32 lives.
“Even after the violence, the government again called the delegation for talks, but the community has still not received the quota to date,” he said.
The INLD leader said that, despite all odds, it is encouraging to see that youth from the Jat community are now not only aspiring for jobs in the Army, police, and clerical services, but are also cracking civil services examinations to emerge as top bureaucrats.
BJP MLA from Charkhi Dadri, Suneel Sangwan, who presided over the event, said that newly recruited UPSC civil servants should work with dedication so that common people do not have to approach political leaders to get their work done.
