Cabinet grants in-principle assent for Jat reservation

In A cabinet decision, the Haryana government on Wednesday gave in-principle nod to the Haryana Backward Classes Commission recommendations of giving a "special backward caste" status to Jats and four other castes in the state. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also announced that the government has asked the Commission to lay down a criteria for providing reservation to economically weaker sections, which includes people from all castes.

"The Commission has recommended that five castes — Jats, Jat Sikhs, Tyagi, Rohrs and Bishnoi — should be covered under a category called special backward castes. A reservation of 10 per cent should be given to people from these castes. This will be in addition to already 27 per cent reservation being given to the Backward Classes. We have accepted these recommendations, in principle. We will also make a recommendation to the Centre in this regard," said Hooda.

The Jat leaders, however, rejected Hooda's decision and announced that they will continue with their agitation. Nafe Singh, head of Sarvjat Khap Aarakshan Samiti, which is spearheading the reservation agitation in Haryana, said: "This is nothing but a gimmick played by the state government. We will not budge till the government declares that Jats have been granted reservations and a notification is issued. The agitation will continue."

"Hooda government is playing political tricks with the common people. What has he done? Accepted recommendations from a Commission constituted by his own government and then directed the Commission to come back with a criteria. He is making a fool of the community. We will not call off our agitation," said Sube Singh, spokesperson of Sarvjat Khap Aarakshan Samiti.

Jat groups in Haryana plan to march towards Delhi from December 16 and block traffic on Delhi borders by December 23.

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