Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, apologized on Monday for a lathi-charge on Maratha quota protesters in Jalna district.
“Lathi-charge by police was not right. I am apologizing on behalf of the government. The CM has said the action will be taken against those who are responsible for it,” Fadnavis, whose government is under fire for the violence, told reporters after a meeting chaired by CM Shinde.
He also said the lathi-charge order was not given by any top official to the Jana Police last week. “Such decisions (use of police force, etc.) are taken at the local level,” Fadnavis, who also handles the home department, said.
“The Maharashtra government expresses regret for the use of force by police in Jalna district a few days back,” media reports quoted him as saying.
Speaking about the meeting, CM Shinde said that “Today, we held a high-level meeting on the Maratha reservation. I have already spoken to protesters and we will resolve this issue systematically. Our government is serious about resolving the issues related to Maratha reservation.”
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the lathi-charge order was issued over the phone from the offices of the chief minister and the state home minister. Anil Deshmukh, a senior NCP politician, also stated that police lathi-charged demonstrators in Jalna district after receiving a phone call from the Maharashtra home ministry.
The former state home minister also sought that a retired judge conduct an investigation into who summoned the Jalna district superintendent of police and ordered him to lathi-charge the demonstrators.
On Friday, police used baton charges and tear gas shells to disperse a hostile mob in Antarwali Sarathi village, Jalna district, when demonstrators allegedly refused to let officials transfer a man on hunger strike. Several people were injured, including 40 police officers, and more than 15 state transportation vehicles were set ablaze in the rioting.