Hisar:
The Jat agitation, demanding a quota for their community in government jobs, still continues to cripple the supply of coal, fertilizer and cement in northern India.
On Friday, due to the agitation, more than 70 trains were cancelled and 12 railway tracks in Haryana were blocked by protesters despite the High Court's order.
The Supreme Court on Thursday offered a pointed critique of the "support" being given by the Chief Ministers of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the Jat agitation. The court ordered the governments of Rajasthan, UP and Haryana to ensure that the supply of water and other essential commodities to Delhi is not affected.
"We are constrained to pass the order having regard to the statements made by the highest functionaries of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh indicating support to the agitation," the two judges said.
The Jats have indicated they are likely to scale up their protests after a protester who was fasting died in a village near Chandigarh. Vijay Singh who was believed to be around 60-years-old, had been on a hunger strike since March 12.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court had asked the Haryana government to explain why Jat protesters, who have planted themselves on tracks linked to nearly 15 key train routes have not been removed.