Judicial inquiry ordered into violence during Jat stir

Chandigarh: Haryana government on Tuesday ordered a judicial inquiry to probe the conspiracy behind the incidents which pushed the state into unprecedented "turmoil" during the Jat quota agitation that left 30 people dead and damage to property.
Replying on the adjournment motion in the Assembly after about 4-hour long discussion, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "Opposition leader (Abhay Singh Chautala) has sought (judicial inquiry) and we have ordered judicial inquiry."
He said judicial enquiry shall be conducted to "completely unearth the entire conspiracy" behind the series of sad and unfortunate incidents which continued for 80 hours in the month of February.
"Some political people who wanted to serve their own interests did not want the meeting between government and Jat leaders successful. Names of some Congress leaders have appeared (behind violence) and Virender (close aide of Hooda) has surrendered and is in police custody. We shall try to elicit details from him about conspirators who instigated violence and arsonists. Because Virender cannot alone instigate on his own. There is a conspiracy which will be unearthed soon," he said.
Strict action is being taken against criminals who, in the name of agitation, indulged in criminal activities.
As on March 21, 2016, a total of 2,087 criminal cases have been registered in various police stations of the state in connection with the reservation agitation and a total of 444 criminals have been arrested.
Unwilling to accept "willful negligence" on the part of the state government, Khattar described allegations of administration becoming "paralysed" during the peak of violence in several parts of state as "untrue and baseless",
claiming that "mayhem" was controlled in "short duration".
On the issue of alleged physical assault of women by arsonists at Murthal in Sonipat, Khattar said the government was helpless in taking any action in the absence of any complaint in this regard.
Earlier, after the Question Hour, Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal allowed discussion on the adjournment motion moved by Leader of Opposition and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala and Independent MLA Jai Parkash on the issue of violence taking place in the state during Jat reservation last month.
Blaming the state government for "failing" to anticipate the situation which later "exploded" into large scale violence and deaths, Chautala sought a judicial commission headed by sitting judge of the Supreme Court or High Court be instituted to go into the events leading to the violence.