Delhi University students also joined the protests on Saturday, and nearly all roads connecting Delhi and Haryana were blocked because of protests.
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In Bhiwani district, protesters late last night set on fire an ATM of a bank and burnt official records of a cooperative bank in Loharu. Violence was additionally reported from Kaithal.
Curfew continued in Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar towns on Saturday but the violence did not stop.
The National Highway No. 1 (NH-1), connecting Delhi to Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, has been blocked by Jat protesters at several places in Sonipat and Panipat districts. At some places in the town, black smoke could be seen coming out of property set on fire by the agitators, who even manhandled media persons at some places.
Following a series of meetings in New Delhi, BJP general secretary and Haryana in-charge Anil Jain hinted at political backing in the ongoing agitation and also claimed to reveal more details on this after sometime.
Curfew was clamped in six out of the eight sensitive districts as attempts by an edgy Haryana government and the Centre to pacify Jats failed miserably. “As per reports, 10 people have been killed and almost 150 are injured”.
“Several companies of Delhi Police have been deployed in Najafgarh and adjoining areas and we are trying to bring the situation under control”, said DCP (south west) RA Sanjeev.
The road and rail disruption across Haryana is likely to carry on as the DGP said that the police’s priority was to first restore water supply to Delhi, followed by restoring peace in cities, confidence building among people and then comes the national or state highways and railway network.
The protests have disrupted normal life in Haryana’s Rohtak, Jind, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Sonipat and Hisar districts.
The army conducted a flag march in violence-hit Rohtak, where three people were allegedly killed and 78 others injured in firing and clash between security personnel and Jats on Friday. “Apart from this, 10 people, including some police personnel, were injured in Jhajjar”, a state government spokesman said here. One unidentified person was killed in firing by BSF yesterday in Rohtak after the agitation turned violent.
The request for additional security forces came as Haryana remained on the boil on Saturday due to violence by Jat protestors in several districts.
The industry body Assocham, pegs an estimated blow of Rs 18,000-Rs 20,000 crore to trade and industry in Haryana by way of loss to public and private property and halting trade, industry, small business and transport. New Delhi gets about 60 percent of its water from the neighboring state.
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Congress MP from Rohtak Deepinder Singh Hooda, whose parliamentary constituency has been worst-hit by violence, has appealed the youths to form “peace committees” and not indulge in acts of violence and help maintain peace and brotherhood.
