Jalna :- In a disturbing turn of events, violent clashes between protesters and police have erupted during the ongoing Maratha reservation protest at Antarwali Sarati in Ambad taluka, Maharashtra. The situation escalated on Friday, leading to injuries on both sides and civilian casualties.
The protest began with Manoj Jarange’s hunger strike for Maratha reservation on August 29 at Antarwali Sarati. Despite Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s attempts to negotiate, the agitator refused to withdraw the protest. As Jarange’s health deteriorated over three days, police arrived on Friday to take him for medical treatment. However, tensions flared, and negotiations failed, resulting in an altercation between citizens and police at the protest site. This led to stone-pelting by protesters and a police response involving tear gas and baton charges.
The confrontations resulted in injuries to around 30 to 40 citizens, as well as several police officers, including Upper Superintendent of Police Rahal Khade and Deputy Divisional Officer Deepak Patil. Some of the injured were treated at Vadigodra Primary Health Center and District Sub Hospital at Ambad. The incident has left the village in a tense and uneasy state.
Furthermore, the protest’s aftermath saw significant property damage, including the burning of three buses on the Solapur-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway at Vadigodri and a private car on the Interwali Sarati route. Many police vehicles and private vehicles were pelted with stones, resulting in damage to ten buses in the district.
The timeline of events indicates that between 3:30 pm and 5:50 pm, approximately 300 to 350 policemen arrived at the Faujfata protest site. Discussions between police officers, including Upper Superintendent of Police Rahal Khade, and protesters failed to reach a resolution. Subsequently, confrontations escalated, with citizens pelting stones and the police deploying plastic bullets and tear gas.
The situation in Jalna has prompted Maratha protesters to take decisive action, including calling for a bandh (shutdown) in many cities and burning seven buses. NCP President Sharad Pawar and former BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosle visited Jalna to meet the protesters. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed regret over the incident.
As tensions mount, the Maratha Kranti Morcha is set to convene an urgent meeting in Mumbai to discuss their course of action. The meeting will address the Jalna incident, and a decision regarding the potential closure of Maharashtra will be made. While the Maratha Kranti Morcha initially called for a bandh in Nandurbar, this decision has been withdrawn to minimize inconvenience to citizens. However, the administration has decided to suspend all ST buses of the corporation.
In response to the situation, security has been heightened in Pune city to prevent any untoward incidents, with Commissioner Ritesh Kumar urging all police stations in the city to remain vigilant.
The Maratha reservation protests in Maharashtra have taken a turbulent turn, raising concerns about the escalation of violence and its impact on the state. The upcoming decisions of the Maratha Kranti Morcha will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences.
