Chandigarh, Feb 20 Five persons were today killed while several others were injured in firing by security personnel during violent protests for quota by Jat community in Rohtak, Jhajjar and Kaithal districts, taking the toll to six.
Five persons were killed “when armed forces opened fire to quell arson and firing” by the protesters, an official release said today.
The fifth casualty took place at Kaithal, while four other persons died in Jhajjar and Rohtak earlier in the day.
Besides, 15 people, including security personnel, were injured in Rohtak and Jhajjar today, the release said.
A Haryana Dairy Corporation’s milk plant was set on fire by the protesters in Rohtak. The residents were asked to move out due to a possible gas leak from the plant, an official spokesman said.
The Haryana government sought additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and more columns of Army to be deployed in Haryana by tomorrow morning to control the agitation in the state.
The requisition for additional force was made by Crisis Management Group of Haryana comprising Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), and Director General of Police, who held a meeting with Union Cabinet Secretary, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Force and Director IB through video conference from here.
The release quoting an official spokesman said that 154 FIRs have been registered and persons are being identified, and stern action will be taken against them.
He said the army and police personnel have been deployed in adequate number in Rohtak to control the situation.
As many as 15 companies of India Reserve Battalion and Haryana Armed Police, three companies of paramilitary forces and two columns of Army have already been deployed.
As violence spread to more areas in Haryana over the Jat quota agitation, curfew was clamped in Jind, Hisar and Hansi districts.
The authorities clamped curfew in Jind in view of some violent incidents that included setting afire three Haryana Roadways buses int he district by agitating Jats.
Army, paramilitary and police conducted a flag march in Jind, where incidents of violence were reported from various places including Julana, Uchana and Pilukhera.
Curfew has been imposed from 8 PM to 6 AM in Hisar and Hansi as a precautionary measure.
Earlier today, the Sonipat district administration had clamped curfew in the city and Gohana town of the district.
Curfew has now been imposed in at least eight towns in Haryana in the wake of incidents of violence during agitation.
Curfew had already been clamped in Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar towns.
Road transport and rail services have been badly hit because of the protest as buses remained off the road while protesters were squatting on rail tracks at multiple points.
(Source PTI)
Prasanta Patnaik