Police gear up to tackle fresh stir

Sunit Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, January 20

The Rohtak Range police authorities are making all-out efforts to handle the situation in view of the call for a fresh stir for grant of reservation to Jats.

Rohtak Range IGP Navdeep Singh Virk said they were holding constant talks with Jat leaders to prevent the possibility of mass support to the proposed agitation.

“Nonetheless, we are prepared to face any eventuality,” the IGP told The Tribune here today.

Elaborating, Rohtak SP Pankaj Nain said eight companies of the police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were being trained in riot combat . Special training sessions of the dedicated force were in progress, he added. “We have requisitioned 15 companies of the paramilitary forces and arranged for riot-control ammunition and equipment like a special well-equipped Vajra vehicle, rubber pellets and plastic bullets etc, ” the SP disclosed.

DSP Tahir Hussain said police personnel recently underwent hands-on training in using riot-control equipment at the firing range in Narnaul.

It may be pertinent to mention here that the All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti had recently announced that statewide ‘nyay yatras’ would be taken out in Haryana and dharnas staged across the state with effect from January 29.

Hence, the government functionaries, including administrative and police officials, have been holding talks with khap representatives, village elders and other prominent leaders of the community to get their feedback and pre-empt the building up of a movement at the grassroots level.

The police officers observed that the community members in general had realised the futility of the previous agitation and were not likely to get involved in a violent stir this time.