Chandigarh, Feb 21: Incidents of violence and arson continued overnight in Haryana with Jat protesters setting on fire an ATM and records of a cooperative bank in Bhiwani district even as the Army staged flag marches in tense areas.
Despite various leaders including Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar appealing to the Jats to maintain peace, there was no let up in the protests which have disrupted normal life in Rohtak, Jind, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Sonipat and Hisar.
Protesters had last night set on fire an ATM of a bank and burnt official records of a cooperative bank in Loharu in Bhiwani district.
As violence and arson spread to several parts of Haryana state, the Haryana government sought additional companies of Central Reserve Police Force and more columns of Army to be deployed in the state to control the agitation.
As many as 15 companies of India Reserve Battalion and Haryana Armed Police, three companies of paramilitary forces and two columns of Army have already been deployed.
So far six persons have been killed in the firing by security personnel "to quell arson and firing" by the protesters while 154 FIRs have been registered.
Curfew remained in force in Rohtak, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Jind, Hisar, Hansi, Sonipat and Gohana towns of Sonipat district.
Road and rail traffic through Haryana and destined for neighboring states, including Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Chandigarh remained disrupted with authorities cancelling bus and train services on most routes in the wake of the blockades.
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