Thaindian News

Hisar (Haryana), June 13 (IANS) At least 12 people, including state president of the Non-Jat Association (NJA), were arrested here Monday for breaching ban on any assembly of five or more people at the mini-secretariat complex here, an official said.

Hisar Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Aggarwal told IANS that NJA leader Ved Pal Tanwar and other protesters broke barricades, pelted stones and clashed with the police at the mini-secretariat complex here, 300 km from Chandigarh.

He said that one woman was injured in the incident and was taken to a nearby government hospital for treatment.

He said that orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been imposed near the mini-secretariat complex to prevent people from gathering there for a meeting called by Tanwar in support of non-Jats.

“The agitators were instigated by Tanwar and others to resort to violence against the police and to violate prohibitory orders. We had no option but to take action against them after they started the violence,” Aggarwal said.

Tanwar earlier rallied in support of last year’s victims of the Mirchpur village violence in which houses of Dalit community members were set ablaze by the dominant Jat community members.

A 70-year-old man and his 18-year-old physically-challenged daughter were burnt alive in the fire and at least 18 houses were destroyed in the attack by dominant Jat community members.