Commonwealth Games faces threat from Jat community - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Claiming to be victims of government apathy since decades, scores of members from Jat community gathered here on Wednesday to voice their demand for reservation in government jobs. Seeking affirmative action by the government, the demonstrators issued a warning to the Central government that if their demands were not met, they would disrupt the Commonwealth Games to be staged in New Delhi during October. In the highly charged agitation organised under the banner of Akhil Bharatiya Jat Aarakshana Samiti (ABJASS), the demonstrators staged a fiery protest march and raised anti-Government slogans in a unique show of solidarity. "We will observe the Jat Chetavani Diwas (Jat Warning Day) in Delhi on September 13, in which there would be a shutdown of the region. If our talks with the central government fail, we would completely block the national capital region from October 2," said Yashpal Malik, National ABJASS President. Earlier, on June 14, the Jats had stopped the water supply to New Delhi from the Ganges canal in Uttar Pradesh as a mark of protest against the government not heeding to their demand for reservation. "Till now, we used to accept whatever the government used to promise us. But now, we will only accept those promises, which they make public through the media. The government would have to release through the press what it intends to do for the Jats. Only then we would accept the government's contention," added Malik.