Conspiracy to divide Haryana: Congress

Party vice president Rahul Gandhi appealed to the people to maintain peace and resolve the issue through talks. Making a similar appeal, AICC communication department chief Randeep Surjewala appealed for “withdrawing” the agitation in the interest of the state and asked the Central and the state governments to “take strong action against those inciting violence”. 

“I am pained to say that while the BJP and RSS are conspiring to divide the nation through communalism and regionalism, they are also engaged in an obnoxious conspiracy of dividing Haryana on caste lines. By making controversial and unnecessary statements every day, the ministers, MPs and MLAs of BJP have created the current provocative situation. The BJP government has totally failed to solve it after creating the problem,” Surjewala said. 

“Requesting the two and half crore people of Haryana to maintain peace and brotherhood, we also appeal for complete withdrawal of the agitation in the interest of the state,” Surjewala, a former Haryana minister, said. 

Noting that nobody is untouched by the difficulties that have to be faced due to the agitation, he demanded that the Centre and state government resolve the matter peacefully. 

As the Jat protests spread to more areas, Haryana Police Chief Yashpal Singhal said in Chandigarh that it was taking time to bring the situation under control as the stir was not being spearheaded by any one particular leader. He, however, said the situation had “improved” since Friday and the Army was out in the worst-hit areas to assist the police to help bring the situation under control. 

Denying that there was an intelligence failure and that the government had failed to judge the situation, the DGP told a press conference here that “The stir has now become leaderless and many youths have also jumped in, which is making our task difficult”.