Amid escalating tension in Jalna over the longstanding Maratha reservation issue, prominent politicians have reached in the Marathwada town to address the concerns of protestors.
NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale of Satara, and Yuvraj Sambhaji Chhatrapati of Kolhapur were among the leaders who engaged with demonstrators on Saturday.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Council opposition leader Ambadas Danve are anticipated to arrive in Jalna around 7:30 p.m.
The Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government has faced criticism from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation, with blame directed at deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, responsible for the home portfolio.
Maratha reservation protest took a violent turn in Jalna yesterday:
For the past five days, the ‘Maratha Jan Akrosh Morcha’ has been staging a hunger strike in Antarwali Sarathi village of Jalna. Hundreds of people gathered for the hunger strike yesterday. In the evening, the police lathi-charged the protesters, citing that they had to do so because the protesters were pelting stones.
The police used lathi-charge on hundreds of Maratha protesters and attempted to disperse the crowd by firing tear gas shells. Following this lathi charge, several protesters have been detained by the police, and now, the protesters are taking to the streets. Following the police lathi-charge, the protesters have turned more aggressive. Yesterday, they set two buses on fire along the Dhule-Solapur highway, creating a tense atmosphere in Antarwali Sarathi village.