CM Shinde urges Mumbaikars to celebrate festivals peacefully

CM Shinde appealed to citizens and mandals to cooperate with the state government and celebrate the Dahihandi and Ganesh Utsav peacefully. He also directed District collectors and municipal Commissioners to repair Ganesh procession roads on priority. CM Shinde suggested celebrating environment friendly festivals.

The reservation in jobs and education provided by the state government to the Maratha community was quashed by the Supreme Court in May 2021, citing the 50 per cent ceiling on total reservations among other grounds. Following this, a sit-in hunger strike, led by activist Manoj Jarange, over the demand for the Maratha reservation, began on August 29. However, the agitation turned violent on Friday after the authorities tried to shift him to a hospital. According to police, around 40 police personnel and some others were injured in the violence. The protesters pelted stones and torched at least 15 state transport buses and some private vehicles.

Under fire for lathi-charge on Maratha quota protesters in Jalna district, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the government regrets the use of force by police. He also said the lathi-charge order was not given by any top official to the Jana Police last week. "Such decisions (use of police force etc.) are taken at the local level," Fadnavis, who handles the Home Department, told reporters here. “Maharashtra government expresses regret for the use of force by police in Jalna district a few days back,” he said.