Maratha quota: Sena (UBT) delegation meets governor, demands Fadnavis’s resignation over police action against protesters

Mumbai: A delegation of Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmakers on Wednesday met Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis over police action in Jalna district against protesters seeking quota for the Maratha community.

Talking to reporters, Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the legislative council, said Fadnavis, who is also a deputy chief minister, has expressed regret over the lathi charge on protesters in Jalna, but a mere apology won’t suffice.

“We have demanded that the home minister resign,” Danve said.

Last Friday, the police in Jalna district baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift activist Manoj Jarange, who has been on fast for Maratha quota since August 29, to hospital.

Around 40 policemen and several protesters were injured and many buses were set on fire during the violence that erupted there, reigniting the issue in the state. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray sought to know who gave the orders to use force on the protesters.

“Who is General Dyer (a reference to the British officer who ordered the firing which led to the 1919 Jallianwala Baug massacre) among Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers (Devendra) Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar? “Who gave the orders to lathi-charge? Action will be taken against officials who lathi-charged, but what about those who issued orders from the government?” Thackeray said.

Fadnavis on Monday expressed regret over the police action.

Reservation in jobs and education provided by the Maharashtra government to the Maratha community in 2018 when Fadnavis was chief minister was quashed by the Supreme Court in May 2021, citing the 50 per cent ceiling on total reservations among other grounds.