Raging Jat protests in Haryana hits Railways hard, over 700 trains cancelled

New Delhi: Northern Railways has cancelled about 700 trains and over 100 trains have been delayed or diverted due to ongoing Jat reservation protests in Haryana .

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at New Delhi Railway Station .  

Situation in Haryana continues to remain tense with escalated violence in several areas claiming eight lives so far and the state government deploying more forces with the help of Centre to bring back normalcy after the agitating Jat leaders rejected Chief Minister ML Khattar’s appeal for peace.

Refusing to call off the quota agitation, several Jat leaders demanded the Haryana government to promulgate an ordinance to include the community in the OBC category if it wanted peace and normalcy in the state.

The response came after CM Khattar released a statement saying that his government has "accepted" their demands, but did not elaborate.

The leaders also demanded that a compensation of Rs 50 lakh be given to the kin of the person killed in firing on Friday and a government job to one of his family members.

Meanwhile, hooligans set on fire government and private property and vehicles, blocking roads and highways, disrupting trains and uprooting tracks and indulging in looting on Saturday.

Curfew was imposed in Hisar, Sonipat and Jind towns after violence. Violence was also reported from Kaithal.

The death toll in the violence in past 36 hours has reached eight with over 100 people being injured. One person was killed when soldiers opened fire on an unruly mob in Jhajjar.