The Maratha reservation issue has been a heated topic in the state for the past few months. It was also discussed during the winter session of the state legislature. Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP leader and state Home Minister, responded in writing to questions about the lathi-charge on Maratha protesters, and his reply is likely to stir more controversy.
Fadnavis defended the lathi-charge during the Maratha quota agitation, stating that it was a defensive and justified response. In the legislative session, MLAs sought information about the incidents during the Maratha agitation, and Fadnavis provided details. He mentioned that 79 police officers were injured in stone pelting by a violent mob in Jalna district, and the police used force defensively in the situation, resulting in injuries to 50 protesters.
Meanwhile, Maratha protesters, including Manoj Jarange, claimed that the police initiated the lathi-charge, and then protesters responded by pelting stones. However, Fadnavis mentioned that the police resorted to lathi-charge defensively due to prior stone pelting.
Additionally, Jarange Patil has been urging the immediate withdrawal of cases filed during the Maratha agitation. Fadnavis clarified that necessary action would be taken after an inquiry regarding the withdrawal of these cases.
The question of whether the properties of some political leaders were burned and government property damaged during the Maratha agitation was also raised. Fadnavis said that the incidents such as stone pelting on government vehicles, MSRTC buses, setting fire to the panchayat samiti office in Ghansawangi, and damaging public property through arson in various places like Pune city, Solapur city, Kolhapur, Sangli, Amalner, Yavatmal, Dharashiv, Nanded, Parbhani, Jalna, and Ahmednagar during the Maratha reservation agitation.