Sharad Pawar, Udayanraje Bhosale reach Maharashtra's Jalna as violence over Maratha quota intensifies

As the long-pending Maratha reservation came to focus once again amid tension in Jalna because of the lathi-charge against protestors, top politicians including NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara and Yuvraj Sambhaji Chhatrapati of Kolhapur reached the Marathwada town and spoke to the protestors on Saturday.

Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray and leader of the opposition in Council Ambadas Danve are expected to reach around 7:30 pm.

The Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government has come under fire from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation.

The opposition parties have blamed deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is in-charge of the home portfolio.

Leader of opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said the government should conduct a fair probe into the incident and seek an apology from the Maratha community.

More than two dozen people including police personnel were injured after a protest demanding reservation for the Maratha community in Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna district's Ambad tehsil turned violent.

The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, have been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs, since Tuesday.

A clash broke out between the police and the protesters on Friday, worsening the situation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said, “To see the brutal lathi charge on women and men of all ages is not just heartbreaking but that has also angered us all. It is impossible that a lathi charge on such a sensitive protest has been carried out without the knowledge of the illegal chief minister and deputy chief minister. Yet, they will pretend to not know about it and blame the officials. The hostile takeover, the incompetent governance and absolute intolerance for anybody else asking for their rights only raises questions about democracy in Maharashtra and India at large. If they had any shame or sense of responsibility, the illegal CM and his cabinet would have stepped down.”