Maratha protest on quota turns violent

Mumbai: Many people were injured in police lathi’s action on Friday after a protest for reservation for the Maratha community in Jalna district in Marathwada region of Maharashtra turned violent. Maratha activist Manoj Jarange along with the villagers had been on hunger strike since August 29 at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district. The clash broke out when police tried to shift Mr Jarange to a hospital.

According to the police, 64 police personnel were injured in the clash. Of these, 22 police personnel have been hospitalised. NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday met the injured protesters at hospital. The Eknath Shinde government ordered an inquiry into the incident. Police have registered an FIR against more than 350 people, said a senior official.

As per the local media reports, protestors reportedly started pelting stones on the cops after the police used teargas shells to disperse them.

A senior IPS officer, requesting anonymity said that the number of hospitalised cops is more than the protestors. “More than 22 police personnel are being treated at the hospital, while hospitalised protestors are less than 10,” the senior IPS officer said.

The clash also led to arson of State transport buses and private vehicles in Jalna district. An official of the state transport department said that so far 20 buses were set ablaze in the violence. Following this, 45 bus depots in Beed, Parbhani, Osmanabad and Ahmednagar district have stopped operations.

The Maratha community on Saturday called a bandh in Jalna, Nandurbar, Beed, Osmanabad, Hingoli, Parbhani and Latur districts to condemn the police action against the protestors.

Tushar Doshi, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Jalna district, confirmed with this newspaper that the 64 police personnel were injured in the stone pelting.