04 September,2023 03:46 PM IST | Aurangabad | mid-day online correspondent
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On Monday, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis stated that the government regrets the use of force by police.
Fadnavis added that the lathi-charge order was not given by any top official to the Jana police. "Such decisions (use of police force etc.) are taken at the local level," said Fadnavis. "Maharashtra government expresses regret for the use of force by police in Jalna district a few days back," he added.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had claimed that the lathi-charge order was given on a phone call made from the office of the chief minister and state home minister.
Former minister Anil Deshmukh claimed that police lathi-charged protesters in Jalna district after a phone call was made from the state home ministry. Deshmukh also demanded an enquiry by a retired judge to find out who called up the Jalna district superintendent of police and ordered him to lathi-charge the protesters.
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Last week, police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital. Several persons were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in violence.
Meanwhile, different Maratha outfits staged a protest in Baramati city in Pune district, against the police lathi-charge on quota protesters in Jalna and demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar quit the Shiv Sena-BJP government.
On Monday, Raj Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, met the people agitating in Jalna for the Maratha quota and said they should not allow those who ordered lathi-charge on the protesters to enter Marathwada. Raj Thackeray reached Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna and met Manoj Jarange, who had been staging a hunger strike for a week demanding reservations for the Maratha community.
(with inputs from PTI)
