The recent protest seeking reservation for the Maratha community in Jalna district had gone violent with the Maharashtra Police lathi-charging the protesters. On Friday, the police lathi-charged the agitators allegedly pelted stones.
The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, had been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation since Tuesday. The Maratha community is seeking reservations in jobs and education as well.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar met Maratha quota agitators injured in police station on Saturday.
Speaking to the media, Pawar said that agitators told him “a call from the higher-ups” changed the attitude of the police at the protest. The clash with the police took place in Antarwalo Sarathi on Dhule-Solapur road.
While police said that around 40 policemen got injured and agitators torched at least 15 state transport buses and private vehicles. A case was registered against 360 persons involved with the incident, said police.
"Our state president Jayant Patil and MLA Rajesh Tope informed me about the incident in detail...Rajesh Tope requested me to come here as soon as possible, this incident is very serious and if people who are affected are not consoled or taken care then there are chances that the incident might spread across Maharashtra. Therefore Jayant Patil and I decided to come here immediately and meet the people," NCP chief Sharad Pawar told ANI.
Pawar also urged the protesters to protest peacefully.
"We met the injured in the hospital...While speaking to the injured they said that the situation was normal and the officials were in touch with us and everything was fine but suddenly the police force lathi-charged...I feel CM should interfere in this matter more to find a way out," Sharad Pawar added.
Reservations for the Maratha community was given by the Congress-NCP government but, unfortunately, it did not pass the legal test, he said.
Meanwhile, the opposition leaders targeted the Shiv Sena-BJP government and condemned the use of police action.
Cases were registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty), and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).
CM Eknath Shinde said that a high-level probe was launched into the violence.
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis had claimed that the police were forced to use baton charge due to stone pelting.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the a committee was formed over the Maratha reservation and is yet to submit a report. He also said that the issues of a nation-wide caste census and removal of the 50 percent cap on reservations was discussed at the meeting of the Opposition's INDIA alliance, and they would be raised in Parliament.
