As the Maratha reservation dispute continues to escalate in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has convened an all-party meeting to address the issue. The meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, September 11, at the ‘Sahyadri Guest House.’
CM Shinde has previously affirmed his commitment to providing reservations for the Maratha community. The state government has also renewed its appeal to quota activist Manoj Jarange, who has been on a 10-day hunger strike in Jalna district over the same issue.
Former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh has weighed in on the situation, disagreeing with Jarange’s demand for action against the police officers who baton-charged protesters in Jalna district. Deshmukh emphasized that accountability should extend to those who gave the orders to use force.
The Maratha quota matter has become a significant challenge for the state government after a recent incident in which the police baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district. The protesters had allegedly refused to allow authorities to transfer Jarange to a hospital, resulting in injuries to several individuals, including 45 police personnel, and the burning of more than 15 state transport buses during the clashes.
Regarding the incident, officials explained that on September 1, the police resorted to baton charges and tear gas shell deployment in Antarwali Sarathi on the Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna. This action was taken after protesters reportedly obstructed the transfer of a hunger-striking individual demanding Maratha quota to a hospital. While some villagers claimed that the police had fired shots in the air, officials did not confirm this account.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has also raised questions about who authorized the lathi-charge on protesters demanding Maratha quota in Jalna district. He specifically inquired about phone calls made from the Chief Minister and state home minister’s offices without orders from top officials. Raut expressed curiosity about the source of these “invisible orders” issued over the phone.