On Saturday, former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh expressed a difference of opinion with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who called for action against the police officers who conducted a baton charge on protesters in Jalna district. Deshmukh emphasized that accountability should lie with those who authorized the use of force rather than the officers who carried it out.
For the past 12 days, Jarange has been on a hunger strike demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the Maratha community. Maratha quota matter snowballed into a major challenge for the state government after the police last week baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district when protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Jarange to hospital.
Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the violence. Taking to X, Deshmukh said one of the three major demands by Jarange is that action be taken against the police officials who lathi-charged Maratha quota protesters. What is the fault of these (police) officials in all of this? Action should be taken against those who ordered the lathi charge, said the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, who was the home minister between 2019 and 2021.
The police intervention in Jalna sparked further protests within the community across the state and ignited a verbal dispute between the ruling party and the opposition. On Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed government remorse for the use of force. Subsequently, on Wednesday, the cabinet made the decision that Marathas from the Marathwada region possessing Nizam-era documents recognizing them as Kunbis, who are entitled to reservation benefits under the OBC category, would be issued Kunbi caste certificates.