Maratha Reservation: Fadnavis Says Sorry to Pacify Marathas

Mumbai: In a desperate bid to pacify the agitating Maratha community in the state, Maharashtra deputy chief minister and home minister Devendra Fadnavis was on Monday forced to apologise for the police action on Maratha quota protesters in Jalna district.

“The Maharashtra government expresses regret for the use of force by the police in Jalna district a few days back. The police lathicharge was not right. I am apologising on behalf of the government. The CM has said that action will be taken against those who are responsible for it,” said Mr Fadnavis.

The BJP leader also distanced the state government away from the police action, saying orders were given at the local level and the political leadership had no role in it. “The decision to use force against those protesting was not taken by any top official in the government. Such decisions (use of police force) are taken at the local level,” Mr Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said he held a high-level meeting on the issue of reservations for Marathas. “I have already spoken to protesters and we will resolve this issue systematically. Our government is serious about resolving the issues related to the Maratha reservation,” he said.

On Monday, Manoj Patil, who has been spearheading the protest in Jalna and is on a hungerstrike since August 29, warned he will intensify his agitation. “We will stop taking even water from Tuesday if the government does not issue an ordinance for the Maratha reservation,” he said.

“We have already given a two-day ultimatum to the government. Of which, one day is left now. If the government doesn’t take positive decisions on the reservations and issue a government resolution by tomorrow, we will stop taking water,” he said.

The Maratha quota agitation in Maharashtra escalated on Monday, with several community outfits hitting the streets in Baramati district and demanding action against the police excesses on them. The protesters were furious over the lathi-charge on the quota protesters in Jalna district days ago.

The Shinde government has been under fire after the police lathicharged the protesters, demanding reservations for the Maratha community on Friday at Jalna. Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured as the protesters threw stones and the police used batons and teargas. Over 15 state transport buses were set on fire. The police have so far booked 360 persons in connection with the violence.

The violence has also spread to several other major cities in Maharashtra, including Solapur, Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur, putting the government in a tight spot.