Rajasthan: Jat community likely to hit streets over reservation

Agitated over the unfulfilled demand of reservation under Other Backward Class, the Jat community of Bharatpur and Dholpur will organise a Mahapanchyat on November 18. This will be the second protest in the state over pending reservation demands after Gurjars.

Bharatpur: Amid the on-going Gurjar protests in Bharatpur for the reservation, fresh trouble has mounted for the Ashok Gehlot government with the Jat community demanding reservation under Other Backward Class (OBC).

Addressing a press conference, Jats of Bharatpur and Dholpur have given a strict warning to the state government.

Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti convenor Nem Singh Faujdar said, "In 2017, Jats were promised reservation under OBC by the state government. The govt had then told us that it would write a recommending letter for our reservation and will also withdraw all the cases filed against the protestors. We were also told that few elected candidates would be appointed to the community. But it has been two years and the govt has not fulfilled any of its promises. We are now compelled to hit the streets."

It may be mentioned that the notification for the same was issued in 2017 stating that on a cabinet decision, Jats of the two districts were immediately incorporated in the authorised list of OBC category. But the community claims that the government has not kept its promise.

READ: Come and talk: Raj govt to Gurjars agitating for quota

Speaking to media, Faujdar added, "Jat community leaders will very soon chalk out a strategy for the protest. Mahapanchayat will be organised in Pathena village on November 18 which will follow suit. A huge rally will be organised after all these Mahapanchayats.

According to sources, the Jat community are planning to block railway tracks, highways and several other routes.

In 2017, the Jat community protested in Rajasthan demanding quota reservation in jobs in the OBC category. The then representative of the community Dr Subash Garg is now a minister in the Gehlot cabinet.

Leaving Bharatpur and Dholpur, the Jats are enjoying reservation in the state. Jats of the two districts were denied reservation as they belong to the ruling class of the pre-independence era and therefore not considered socially or economically backwards.

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