'Proud to be Jat,' says RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar

Jagdeep Dhankar. File Pic/PTI

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said he is "Jat" and is proud of his caste while replying to a query from a member of the house during the debate on the Union Budget.

Dhankhar said the Jats come under the OBC in the central and the Rajasthan government list and he was part of the committee which led the agitation demanding reservation for the community.

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"I am Jat and proud to belong to this caste," said Dhankhar adding "This is in the OBC list in Rajasthan and also in the Central list."

Dhankhar's statement came during BJP member Ghanshyam Tiwari's speech during the debate on the Budget.

Congress member Rajani Ashokrao Patil stood and asked why Tiwari mentioned Dhankhar as an OBC. She also wanted to know whether Jats are OBC in Rajasthan.
Dr K Laxman of BJP said Jats were included in the Other Backward Classes during the tenure of former prime minister A B Vajpayee.

Dhankhar said he was associated with the Jat Aarakshan Samiti and was its principal spokesperson.

The Chairman said a six-member delegation had met the then prime minister and its demand was accepted immediately.

"That time the Chief Minister of Rajasthan was at Jaisalmer and he flew back and implemented in the state also," he said, adding, Rajasthan is the first state where Jats got reservation from Centre first and from the state later.

"Even then there was a legal lacuna and the case dragged in the court for years," said the Chairman adding that he even pleaded in that case as an advocate.

After Dhankhar's remarks, Patil asked to put Marathas also in the OBC list.

Participating in the debate, Mahendra Bhatt of BJP said the current budget will help achieve the "dream of every Indian," which is to become a developed nation by 2047.

Haarish Beeran of IUML said every sop in the budget is given to the BJP ally state Previously it was given to BJP but now it is for allies also, he said.

Kerala asked for a Rs 24,000 crore package for two years, Rs 5,000 crore transhipment containers terminal at Trivandrum, and Rs 5,580 crore for national highways.

It asked for an AIIMS but it was not given till now. Moreover it has nothing for rubber and coconut farmers.

Dr K Laxman of BJP said this budget is for a developed India. He alleged the congress of "double-talk" and said that its leaders say only Bihar and Andhra Pradesh have been rewarded, but its leaders from Bihar say, "Bihar ko kuch diya nahi."

"This indicates politics over budget," he added.

Jose K Mani, KC (M), wondered whether this was a central budget or a budget of two states. First time in the history of India, natural calamities and its management has taken political colours, he said.

"History has shown that appeasement of regions harm the nation," he added.

While participating in the debate, Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) termed the budget anti-Maharashtra and as "Pradhan Mantri Sarkar Bachao Yojna."

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