Maratha quota violence: Who ordered lathi-charge on protesters in Jalna, asks Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday sought to know who ordered the lathi-charge on protesters demanding Maratha quota in Maharashtra's Jalna district last week, reported news agency PTI.

Police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district on Friday after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital.

Several persons, including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in Maratha quota violence.

Speaking to reporters, Sanjay Raut asked, "Who made a call from the office of chief minister and state home minister without an order from top officials? The local police will never resort to lathi-charge and open fire. We want to know who gave those invisible orders over a phone call," reported PTI.

"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the two deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are working with the mindset of General Dyer. They ordered lathi-charge and firing on the Maratha protesters who were sitting on hunger strike peacefully," the Rajya Sabha member alleged.

In April 1919, the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar took place during the Baisakhi festival when the British Indian Army under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer opened fire at a crowd staging a pro-independence demonstration, leaving scores of people dead.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday announced that Jalna district superintendent of police, Tushar Doshi, has been sent on compulsory leave and two DYSP-rank officers transferred out of the district.

Shinde said ADGP (law and order) Sanjay Saxena would probe the lathi-charge incident and if required, a judicial probe would be conducted.

Sanjay Raut while talking to reporters also claimed that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar's decision to join the state government has resulted in several corruption charges being dropped against him.

"Not only Pawar, but his other colleagues such as Praful Patel, Hasan Mushrif among others will also get a clean chit. All these leaders were probed by the Enforcement Directorate officials for various charges of corruption," he said.

Ajit Pawar and eight others NCP MLAs joined the Shinde-Fadnavis government on July 2.

(With inputs from PTI)