Jat stir claims 3 more Toll mounts to 19 

Chandigarh/New Delhi : Violence continued unabated in Haryana on Monday with stone-pelting mobs attacking security personnel trying to clear a road blockade triggering a clash in which three civilians were killed raising the death toll to 19 in the nine-day old stir. Besides the clash in Sonipat, fresh incidents of arson and violence erupted in several districts. including Rohtak, Kaithal and Hissar.

Meanwhile, the five-member committee set up under the chairmanship of Union Parliamentary Affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu to examine the quota demand of Jats in government jobs, held its first meeting here on Monday. The committee took stock of the situation and discussed as how to move forward in the matter.

As protesters continued to block some roads including the arterial Delhi-Ambala Highway, the Centre directed security forces to use force to clear blockades. "The security forces were asked to use force to clear all the places where the protesters were squatting affecting communication network and water supply," a Union Government official said in Delhi.

Water supply to the national capital from Haryana is expected to be fully restored on Tuesday after security forces took over control of the Munak canal and evicted all the Jat protesters from that place. Top government sources said 35 per cent of the canal, located at 100 km from Delhi in Sonepat of Haryana, has been operationalised as protesters had damaged the supply line thereby disrupting normal flow of water.

"Repairing work is going on and we hope that by tomorrow it will fully be operationalised with its maximum capacity," a source said. The All India Jat Aarakshan Sanghursh Samiti (AIJASS) later in the evening announced lifting of its dharnas on national and state highways in view of the BJP setting up a committee under a Central minister to examine the quota demand for the Jat community.

Sonipat Deputy Commissioner Rajiv Rattan said personnel of Army, paramilitary forces and the police who were trying to clear a road blockade in the district were attacked by the mob which pelted stones on them and also used lathis. Some security personnel were also injured. A police spokesman in Sonipat said the three killed in the clash were identified as Sunny (of Gandhi Nagar), Rajesh (Samli), both of Ganaur area and Sandeep (Phansi, Sonipat).

The mob went berserk setting on fire government vehicles, indulging in vandalism and attacking the security forces, the DC said, adding there was tension in the entire area. The latest incident came within hours after two columns of the Army comprising around 150 personnel, besides CRPF and Haryana Police contingents took control of the Munak canal at around 4am on Monday from protesters who had cut off the water supply to Delhi, from Akbarpur-Barota in Sonipat.

Following fresh incidents of arson and violence, curfew was reimposed in five villages of Hansi sub-division, Hissar city limits and Kaithal. Curfew was imposed in five villages of the district and shoot-at-sight orders issued following a face-off between Jats and other community members. Senior Haryana Minister Ram Bilas Sharma told reporters after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar that 16 people have died in the ongoing Jat agitation.

Making a fresh appeal for an end to the agitation, Sharma said a Bill will be brought in the coming Assembly session of on the Jat reservation issue. The Jat protesters also continued to block some roads including in Rohtak, Hissar and Bhiwani districts. Road traffic on various national and state highways from Hissar to various destinations, including Delhi, Chandigarh, Sirsa, Siwani and Bhiwani remained suspended. Railway traffic from Hissar to various destinations including Delhi, Ludhiana, Bhiwani and Sadulpur also remained suspended.