Maharashtra: NCP, Congress condemn police action against Maratha quota protesters in Jalna

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The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress on Friday condemned the baton-charge by police on protestors seeking reservation for the Maratha community in central Maharashtra's Jalna district, reported news agency PTI.

Several persons including 12 policemen were injured in the violence at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Ambad tehsil earlier in the day, reported PTI.

NCP working president Supriya Sule asked if Maharashtra has democracy or autocracy.

"It is shocking the way police brutally beat up the youth. There should be an enquiry," she told reporters.

Targeting Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Baramati MP said it was his department's failure.

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, accused the government of crushing the protest with lathis (batons).

"We condemn this government-sponsored act. They should apologise to the Maratha community and immediate action should be taken against the police officers who ordered baton-charge," he said.

A written assurance about what concrete steps the government is taking for providing reservations should be given to the Maratha community, the Congress leader said.

A protest for Maratha reservation in the Jalna district of central Maharashtra turned violent on Friday leading to several people including 38 police personnel getting injured, officials said.

Police used baton-charge and fired teargas shells to disperse a violent mob at Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur road in Ambad tehsil. Villagers also claimed that police fired some rounds in the air, but officials did not confirm it.

The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, had been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation for the Maratha community at the village since Tuesday. The trouble began when police tried to shift Jarange to hospital on doctors' advice, officials said.

While Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made an appeal for peace and announced that a committee will be set up for a high-level probe into the violence, deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the police were forced to use baton-charge due to stone pelting.

The reservation provided by the state government for the politically dominant Maratha community was quashed by the Supreme Court earlier.

(With inputs from PTI)