Several national highways and train routes were blocked during the protests which brought many parts of the state to a halt.
Highlights
- Court is hearing petition challenging constitutional validity of the bill
- In March, Haryana had passed bill to give reservation to Jats, 5 castes
- At least 30 were killed, 300 injured in violent clashes in February
The Haryana High Court has put an interim stay on the reservations for Jats in government jobs and educational institutes granted by the state after a massive agitation by the community in February.
At least 30 people were killed and over 320 injured during the violent protests and in clashes with the police. Property and assets worth hundreds of crores were damaged or destroyed in the violence that paralysed the state for nearly 10 days.
The Haryana Government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in March had passed the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Bill, 2016 proposed to give reservation to Jats and five other castes - Jat Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois, Tyagis and Mulla Jat/Muslim Jat - in government services and admission to educational institutions.
Mr Khattar had said that a request would also be made to the Centre to include the Act in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution so as to shield it from judicial review.
The high court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation challenging the constitutional validity of reservation bill passed by the state. The interim order was passed by a bench headed by Justice S S Saron.