A few leaders of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday reached the Raj Bhavan seeking justice for Maratha protestors who were allegedly lathi-charged by police in Maharashtra's Jalana district. Several Opposition leaders including Ambadas Danve, Sunil Prabhu, Ajay Choudari and Ravindra Waikar reached the Raj Bhavan and demanded urgent action on the matter.
How agitation turned violent?
According to officials, police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells on September 1 to disperse protesters in Antarwali Sarathi on Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna after they allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital, according to officials. The agitation turned violent as some people targeted state transport buses and private vehicles, police said. However villagers claimed that police fired some rounds in the air, but officials did not confirm it.
Earlier on Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut sought to know who ordered the lathi-charge on protesters demanding Maratha quota in Jalna district. Speaking to reporters, Raut asked, "Who made a call from the office of Chief Minister and state home minister without an order from top officials? The local police will never resort to lathi-charge and open fire. We want to know who gave those invisible orders over a phone call."
State govt ordered lathi-charge: Sanjay Raut
Raut also alleged that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the two deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are working with the "mindset of General Dyer." "They ordered lathi-charge and firing on the Maratha protesters who were sitting on hunger strike peacefully,” the Shiv Sena leader alleged.
It should be mentioned here that around 45 policemen and several protesters were injured and many buses were set on fire during the violence that erupted in Jalna district. In addition, more than 350 persons have been booked for alleged involvement in the untoward incidents.
