Former MLA and State president of the Uttar Pradesh All India Jat Mahasabha Pratap Chaudhary on Sunday said a State conference of the group, to be held in Meerut on September 24, will highlight the issue of Jat reservation, with the community pushing the government to accept its demand.
“The issue of Jat reservation is at the core of our meeting. It is a social gathering, where we will discuss issues related to our community with elders. Lakhs of people will participate in the conference,” Mr. Chaudhary said.
Senior Jat leaders, including former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait, and leaders of various khaps are slated to participate in the conference. The social outfit has also invited activists from other States, including Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi, to attend the Meerut gathering.
The Jat community is considered a dominant caste group across western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan, and plays a key role in regional politics. In U.P., a sub-regional party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), having its presence in some pockets, including Bagpat, Muzaffarnagar and Meerut, enjoys the community’s support. Since 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also made inroads within the caste group.
