Haryana assembly unanimously passes Jat quota bill

Chandigarh: The Haryana assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill to provide reservation to Jat and other communities. There was immediate opposition to the bill from other communities.

The Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill, 2016, was passed by voice vote in the ongoing assembly session within 15 minutes of being introduced. It was moved by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The state cabinet on Monday cleared the bill that proposes to provide reservation to the politically-dominant Jat community and four other communities -- Jat Sikhs, Tyagis, Bishnois and Rors.

Khattar said his government fulfilled the promise made to Jat and other communities for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions.

Jat leaders seemed divided on the bill passed in the assembly.

While Jat leader Hawa Singh Sangwan welcomed the bill, another Jat leader, Yash Pal Malik, said the bill has not done enough for the Jat community.

Congress leader and former minister Ajay Singh Yadav described the passage of the bill as a "black day" for Haryana.

BJP MP from Kurukshetra Rajkumar Saini, who has been opposing reservation for Jats, said it was a "murder of democracy".

"The bill will give statutory status to Backward classes Block 'A', Backward classes Block 'B' and Backward classes Block 'C' by enacting the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016, and request the Central Government to include this Act in the 9th Schedule read with Article 31B of the Constitution of India," a state government spokesman said here.

The bill provides for increase in percentage of reservation in Schedule I, II and III for Class I and II posts for BC 'A', BC 'B' and BC 'C' from 10 percent, five percent and five percent to 11 percent, six percent and six percent respectively.

It was also decided to increase the existing reservation of five per cent for Economically Backward Persons in General Caste Category in Class I and II posts from five per cent to seven per cent.

The Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state had promised reservation for the Jat community and others after the recent Jat agitation for reservation left the state paralysed for nine days.

As many as 30 people were killed and 320 injured and property worth hundreds of crores of rupees was destroyed during nine days as the agitation turned violent.