A delegation of Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators met with Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais on Wednesday. They called for the resignation of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis due to the police actions in Jalna district during protests for the Maratha community quota.
Speaking to the media, Ambadas Danve, the Leader of Opposition in the legislative council, expressed that Devendra Fadnavis, who also serves as the deputy chief minister, had offered an apology for the lathi charge on protesters in Jalna, but the lawmakers believed that a simple apology was insufficient.
Last Friday, in the Jalna district, the police resorted to baton charges and fired tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village. This came after protesters allegedly obstructed authorities from shifting activist Manoj Jarange, who has been fasting in support of the Maratha quota since August 29, to the hospital. During the ensuing violence, around 40 policemen and several protesters sustained injuries, and numerous buses were set on fire. This incident rekindled the quota issue in the state.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray raised questions about who authorized the use of force against the protesters. He likened the situation to General Dyer (a reference to the British officer responsible for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre) and inquired whether Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were involved in issuing the orders to lathi-charge. Aaditya Thackeray further questioned accountability, stating that while action would be taken against officials involved in the lathi charge, there remained uncertainty about those within the government who gave the orders.