‘BJP leaders to blame for 2016 violence’

Tribune News Service

Panipat, February 18

All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) chief Yashpal Malik claimed today BJP ministers and party leaders were responsible for arson and violence during the Jat stir in February 2016.

The AIJASS would gather Patels, Marathas and other communities engaged in agriculture throughout the country to demand reservation, he said.

Malik was addressing Jats in Ugrakheri village of Panipat district to observe Balidan Divas.

“As we came to know about Amit Shah’s rally in Jind on February 15, we immediately decided to organise a tractor rally to disrupt the BJP rally. Due to unity of the community, the state government was ready to compromise on our demands,” he said.

“The government has assured us on our demands on February 11,” he claimed.

Malik alleged senior BJP leaders were behind the arson and violence in 2016 to divide society. “We were cheated by our own people in 2016,” he said.

Malik alleged that the February 2016 incidents were launched as part of a political conspiracy by the BJP leaders on February 14 after a meeting at Sampla in Rohtak.

“I have asked the government why no action has been taken against the BJP functionaries and their relatives responsible for the violence in 2016, but the government has no reply,” he asserted.