New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS) The Supreme Court Monday pulled up Haryana government for failing to clear the national highway blockades by the Jat community protesting the arrests of its members allegedly involved in Mirchpur village attack on Dalits.
The apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice Asok Kumar Ganguly told the Haryana government that ‘the blockade of the national highway cannot be tolerated’.
The court asked the state government what steps it had taken to ensure free and smooth movement of traffic on the national highway passing through the state.
The court also asked the central government to file an affidavit in consultation with the railway authorities stating the quantum of loss the railways suffered due to ‘rail roko’ agitation of the Jats.
The matter was adjourned for two weeks.
A 70-year-old man and his 18-year-old physically-challenged daughter were killed in the April 21, 2010, arson attack on a Dalit locality in Mirchpur village, about 300 km from Chandigarh.
Around 150 Dalit families were driven out of the village, and at least 18 houses were destroyed when these were torched.
-Indo-Asian News Service
pk/pal/vt
