Queen’s Baton enters Haryana

CHANDIGARH - The Queen’s Baton Relay of the Commonwealth Games Sunday entered Haryana at Dabwali town in Sirsa district from Rajasthan.

President of the Haryana Olympics Association P.V. Rathi and Sirsa parliamentarian Ashok Tanwar received the baton, which would move out from Gurgaon into New Delhi five days later just ahead of the Games.

In the wake of threats from Jat community members, elaborate security arrangements have been made on the baton route to avoid any untoward incident.

The state witnessed violent incidents Sep 13-14 owing to the Jat agitation seeking reservation under the other backward castes (OBC) quota in government jobs and educational institutions.

“Today we showed black flags to the baton in Dabwali and Sirsa towns. We are wearing black badges to mark our protest against the state and central governments,” Yash Pal Malik, president of the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti told IANS.

He added: “We will seal Delhi borders Oct 3, when the Games begin, and stop supply of all essential commodities to the national capital.”

According to government officials, the baton will pass through Hisar (the area that saw the maximum violence), Fatehabad, Narwana, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Jhajjar towns.

Most of the areas through which through which the relay will travel are in the Jat-dominated belt of the state.

The Jat rioters had set scores of vehicles and buildings, including a bank, ATMs, a police station, a cotton mill and other government and private property on fire during violence in Hisar district.