Cops lathicharge activists demanding Maratha reservation in Jalna

The incident occurred in Antarvali-Sarati village in the district where a group of Maratha activists, led by one Manoj Jarange-Patil, were sitting on a strike for four days with their demand. On Friday, as Jarange’s health deteriorated, as he was on a hunger strike continuously, police attempted to shift him to hospital. This led to a friction between the police and the mob that had gathered. The mob became aggressive and reportedly started pelting stones, leading the police to use lathicharge to disperse them.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also heads the home department, said, “As Jarange’s health condition was deteriorating, it was the administration’s responsibility to get him medical aid. Police attempted to do so on Thursday but people gathered around him said he should be shifted on Friday. When police went to the venue, some people started pelting stones at them. Many police personnel were injured after which they resorted to lathicharge and burst teargas shells to disperse the unruly mob.”

The superintendent of police, Jalna, Tushar Joshi, said: “Around 40 personnel, including 6 lady officers, were injured in the incident.” Sources from the department added, after Jarange was discharged from the hospital, he and other activists accompanying him, returned to the same spot to continue their agitation. Several activists were also injured in the melee.