Maharashtra: Over 50 including policemen injured after Maratha reservation protest turns violent in Jalna

Maratha reservation protest: A protest demanding reservation for the Maratha community in the Jalna district of the Marathwada region in Maharashtra took a violent turn, resulting in injuries to over 50 individuals, including police personnel. 

Tension prevailed after police resorted to lathicharge to disperse a group of activists who were demanding reservation while in response, the protesters started pelting stones.  

Traffic on Latur Zaheerabad Highway was disrupted due to the burning of tires on the road in protest against the lathicharge on Marathas in Jalna district of Maharashtra. The Maratha Kranti Morcha initiated this protest by blocking both sides of the road, where Maratha community members, particularly young protesters, burned tires, chanted slogans, and blocked traffic. Latur police promptly responded to the incident as soon as they received information about it.

45 police personnel injured

At least 45 police personnel were injured when the mob pelted stones at them, out of which 17 were women policemen.  Those who suffered serious injuries were under treatment at Jalna Civil Hospital. Among the injured, there were two Deputy Superintendents of Police and many women police personnel.

Officials said police resorted to lathicharge and fired teargas shells to disperse a violent mob at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Ambad tehsil. Villagers also claimed that police fired some rounds in the air, but officials did not confirm it.

On the other hand, the figure of how many protesters were injured in the Maratha reservation agitation has not yet come to the fore. However, the police estimate that at least 20 protesters were injured in the lathi charge. 

Meanwhile, police have registered a case under sections 323, 353, 332, 147 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against more than 200 unknown people at Gondi police station in this matter.

Was on hunger strike demanding reservation

The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, have been on a hunger strike in the village since Tuesday demanding reservations for the Maratha community. The reservation provided by the state government for the politically influential Maratha community was cancelled by the Supreme Court.

Buses were set on fire

The agitation turned violent on Friday as some persons targeted state transport buses and private vehicles, police said.  Superintendent of Police Tushar Doshi said, "The vehicle of Chandanjira police station was set on fire. Personal vehicles of policemen were also burnt. According to preliminary information, 15 state transport buses were set on fire." To maintain peace, a company of the State Reserve Police Force and police personnel from nearby districts have been deployed in the area, he said. Police sources said that at least 20 protesters were injured in the lathi charge.

CM appeal for peace

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appealed for peace and announced that a committee would be formed to probe the violence at a high level. At the same time, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that due to stone pelting, the police was forced to resort to lathi charge.

Officials said that CM Shinde had spoken to the protesters on Wednesday and urged them to end the hunger strike, but they refused to back down. He said that additional police force has been sent to Jalna. 

Speaking to a regional news channel, Shinde said the state government is committed to provide reservation to the Maratha community, and nobody should resort to violence. “The state government is taking some steps to give reservation to the community. During Devendra Fadnavis's tenure as chief minister, the state government had given reservation to the Maratha community but the Supreme Court quashed it,” he said.

“I do not want to go into the politics of it because it was not properly followed up. However, the state government is taking this issue seriously and we will welcome it if there are any suggestions. I appeal to the protesters to maintain peace so that the common people do not suffer,” he said.

Congress leader Ashok Chavan demanded that the state government make clear its stand on Maratha reservation. Former Chief Minister Chavan said that the lathi charge by the police in Antarwali Sarathi village is unacceptable. 

Fadnavis told reporters that some protesters surrounded the police who had gone to talk to them. The Deputy Chief Minister said that they surrounded the person on hunger strike and also prevented the police from taking him to the hospital. “The police then resorted to baton-charge in such a way that nobody would get seriously injured. The situation would have worsened had the police not used tear gas and baton-charge,” he claimed.

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