SC restrains Jats from cutting supply line to Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has restrained Jat panchayats from blocking Delhi and stopping supply of essential commodities to the capital city.

The apex court has also directed the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to ensure that supply of water and essential commodities to Delhi is not stopped due to the Jat agitation for quota in central jobs.

The directive came on a petition filed by Delhi government and Indian Oil Corporation ( IOC) against the Jats threat to block supply of essential commodities to Delhi. The Jats are demanding job reservations central government services.

Jat leaders from Rajasthan and western Uttar Pradesh had threatened a siege of the national capital starting March 28. The protesters had planned to block supplies of vegetables, oil, water and milk from Uttar Pradesh to Delhi and those in Haryana could also launch a protest mirroring those tactics.

The Jats have taken to the streets after they were forced to vacate the railway tracks at Kafurpur in JP Nagar following order of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on March 19. The railway blockade at Kafurpur lasted 15 days leading to cancellation of over 800 trains and harassment of over 10 lakh people. Three rounds of talks between the Centre and Jat leaders in the last 20 days have remained inconclusive.