Jat agitation disrupts train services in Punjab and Haryana

The agitation by Jats in Haryana demanding 'Other Backward Class' status to the community has intensified with normal life grinding to a halt in many places after protestors blocked railway tracks in Hisar and disrupted the rail link between Delhi, Rajsthan and other cities. The agitation has affected services of 42 trains.

The Amritsar-Jalandhar rail section was also blocked by the Punjab Chapter of the All India Jat Reservation Sangharsh Saminti at village Khilchian near Amritsar today. The agitation was led by state president of Jat Sangarash Samiti  Karnail Singh Bhawra.

Government Railway Police (GRP) expressing inability to deal with the situation, has refused to take action against protestors blocking rail tracks due lack of manpower.

Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, however, said he had already made the necessary recommendations for the inclusion of Jats in Other Backward Class (OBC) long ago.
However, the chief minister's assurances have failed to cut any ice with the Jat leaders who are now planning to block four more rail routes. Meanwhile, issuing a fresh deadline, they have threatened to cut milk supply to Delhi.

A Jat leader said this was just the beginning and they had other programmes for agitation besides protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Jat agitation has started spreading across small pockets in rural Haryana.