Mirchpur caste violence: Protests spread to more areas

JIND - Protests by the Jat community to demand a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into last year’s Mirchpur caste violence spilled into Jind and other areas of Haryana Monday, the 10th day, with community members blocking rail and road traffic.

Meanwhile, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Ranjeev Dalal appealed to the protesting community members to maintain peace.

Dalal, who visited Jind district Monday to take stock of the situation, also said that stern action would be taken against those found taking law in their hands.

Talking to reporters, Dalal said the administration was fully alert to avert any untoward incident and trying to settle the issue peacefully.

“Though the administration wishes for peaceful resolution of the issue, some anti-social elements are not in favour of finding an amicable solution. I appeal to people not to be misled by anti social elements,” Dalal said.

Life was affected in most parts of the district with trucks, buses and scores of other vehicles stranded on various highways and roads. Most of them had to take longer detours to reach their destinations.

Jat protesters have blocked the Delhi-Ferozepur railway line near Jind railway station and all highways and road links leading to Jind, cutting off this district from the rest of Haryana.

They are also blocking important rail lines and highways in Hisar, Fatehabad and Rohtak districts.

The Jat mahapanchayat, a congregation of 42 khap panchayats, has demanded a SIT probe into the Mirchpur caste violence in which an elderly Dalit man and his daughter were killed. Mirchpur village is near Haryanas Hisar town.

Besides, the protesters have also sought shifting of the court trial from New Delhi to Hisar and the release of over 90 Jat youth arrested for their role in the Mirchpur violence last year.