Chandigarh :
Jat quota leader Yashpal Malik is firm on relaunching the agitation on the issue on August 16, a day before the start of the monsoon session of the state Assembly.
Malik said on Wednesday that the strategy for the agitation would be planned at Jassia on August 12 after a meeting with the members of the community.

“We have a bhaichara sammelan at Samalkha in Panipat on Thursday, at Gohana in Sonipat on August 10, at Jhajjar on August 11 and at Jassia in Rohtak on August 12 where we will finalise our strategy for the August 16 agitation,” Malik said.
Expressing displeasure over the Haryana Government’s stand on not withdrawing cases against members of the Jat community related to the February 2016 violence, Malik alleged that the government was deliberately delaying these issues in court.
He said that perhaps the state government wants the Jat agitation to take the shape of the Maratha agitation for reservation.

Meanwhile, well-placed sources in the state police maintained that the proposed agitation is unlikely to attract much support this time.

Once the central government has passed the Bill to accord constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, nothing is left for the agitation, said sources.
The sources, however, said that in case the agitators tried to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the state, they would be dealt with sternly.

“They demanded reservation. The government has already legislated an Act for this purpose. The Act has been struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Similarly, they demanded withdrawal of criminal cases. The government has already withdrawn nearly 2,000 out of 2,200-odd cases. However, no government can take back cases of murder or burning of the property of others,” said sources. Sources believe that the support base of quota leaders has depleted considerably after the February 2016 violence and they are unlikely to get support from the masses this time.