Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), visited Jalna to express solidarity with the protesters advocating for Maratha reservations. Thackeray’s visit aimed to support the ongoing agitation for Maratha quotas and condemn the recent lathi-charge on protesters.
During his visit to Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna, Thackeray met with Manoj Jarange, who has been on a week-long hunger strike demanding reservations for the Maratha community. The situation escalated on Friday when authorities attempted to transfer Jarange to a hospital.
As tensions flared, police resorted to baton charges and deployed tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. This confrontation resulted in injuries to several individuals, including 40 police personnel, and the burning of over 15 state transport buses. The police subsequently filed cases against more than 360 people in connection with the violence.
Thackeray, addressing the protesters, criticized political leaders for seeking votes during elections and then neglecting the issues faced by the public. He urged the demonstrators not to allow the entry of leaders who ordered the lathi-charge and held protesters at gunpoint into Marathwada until these leaders apologize.
During his journey to Antarwali Sarathi village, Thackeray interacted with the agitators at Jamkhed Phata. He highlighted the broken promises made by politicians, including the pledge to install a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea, only to forget the public’s concerns after securing their votes.
Responding to Thackeray’s visit, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested that the opposition should avoid politicizing the issue. Thackeray countered this by claiming that Fadnavis would have acted similarly if he were in the opposition.
Thackeray assured the protesters that he would examine the legal aspects of their demands and discuss the matter with the Chief Minister to seek resolution. He concluded by reminding everyone of the lathi marks on the protesters, hinting at the political consequences in future elections.
