Row over sarpanches’ protest ahead of Amit Shah’s Gohana rally

Tribune News Service

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, January 27

The state authorities as well as the local police-administration are on tenterhooks over the proposed show of strength by the state’s sarpanches at Jassia village in Rohtak district on Saturday.

The sarpanches’ show of strength comes a day ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s public meeting at Gohana in Sonepat district, which is slated to be held on Sunday. Incidentally, Jassia village, which was also the epicentre of protest during the Jat agitation for the grant of reservation, is located at a distance of just about 15 km from Gohana.

Sensing the gravity of the matter, Jassia sarpanch Om Prakash Hooda has dissociated himself from the sarpanches’ show of strength.

“I was neither consulted for the event, nor did I give my consent for it. The residents of my village also oppose the sarpanches’ event and have nothing to do with it. It is a ploy of some vested interests to malign the name of Jassia village,” said the sarpanch.

He said the sarpanches also planned to stage a ‘chakka jam’ protest to oppose Shah’s rally, which could lead to some untoward situation.

“Youths of my village are already facing police and court cases regarding the Jat agitation. We do not want any more cases on our youths,” maintained Hooda.

On the other hand, the Haryana Sarpanches Association is firm on showing its strength at Jassia tomorrow.

“We want to convey our dissatisfaction with the e-tendering regime to the Central Government through the Union Home Minister. How we will go about it will be announced at tomorrow’s event,” said Vikas Khatri, the secretary of the association, told The Tribune.

Questioned about the Jassia sarpanch opposing the show of strength, Khatri said it was being done at the behest of the BJP leadership.

The sarpanches of Haryana have been staging protest demonstrations across the state against the e-tendering and Right-to-Recall provisions.

Rohtak DSP (Headquarters) Ravinder Kumar said they would keep a close vigil on the sarpanches’ show of strength and would decide their strategy after the sarpanches’ association announced their plan.

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