Turning down fresh plea of Haryana government for holding a meeting, Jat community leaders on Friday announced to intensify the ongoing agitation of the community after February 19. 

Jat representatives who are heading the agitations at various places, on Friday held a meeting at Jassia village in Rohtak under the leadership of Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) president Yashpal Malik, chalking out the further plan.

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"Today we had a meeting at Jassia attended by our representatives from various districts. It was decided that the plan that was chalked out today to intensify the protest would be formally announced on February 19,” Malik told The Statesman ober phone.

"Additional director general of police (ADGP) (law and order), Mohammad Akil approached us today for fresh talk, however, we declined the same as no meeting would be held before February 19. Any meeting in this regard would be fixed after coming Sunday," he added.

Agitating Jats have announced to observe February 19 as ‘Balidan Diwas’ (martyr day) across the state in memory of the community members killed during the agitation last year. Keeping in view the situation, the state government today deputed senior IAS officers to guide and support the deputy commissioners in eight districts.

These senior officers have been asked to reach the respective district latest by the noon of February 18 and remain present there till the forenoon of February 20 to appropriately guide and support the Deputy Commissioners as per their needs and based on any input that might independently be received by them. Meanwhile, the ongoing agitation in 20 districts of the state led by Malik today completed peaceful 20 days.

The state government has put the civil and police administration in all the districts on high alert. Apart from heavy deployment of state police personnel, a total 37 companies of paramilitary forces and nearly 7000 home guard personnel have been put into positions in the state to avoid any untoward incident likewise the previous year.

The Jat agitation in February last year left nearly 31 people dead while more than 200 injured. During the violence erupted last year, government and private properties were damaged and set on fire.