Raj Thackeray meets protesters amid Maratha reservation demand

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday expressed his support for the protesters demanding reservation for the Maratha community in Jalna, Maharashtra. The agitation took a violent turn as authorities attempted to transfer Manoj Jarange, a protester on hunger strike, to a hospital. In response, the police resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells, leading to clashes between the protesters and the law wnforcement officials. This resulted in injuries to several individuals, including 40 police personnel. Moreover, more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze during the clashes. Over 360 people have been booked in connection with the violence, according to police reports. Thackeray's visit to the Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna demonstrated his solidarity with the Maratha community's cause. Addressing the protesters, he condemned the use of force by leaders who had ordered lathi-charges against them. He said, "Leaders seek your votes and then abandon you. The agitators should not allow entry of those leaders into Marathwada who ordered the attack with lathis and held the agitators at gunpoint. This should continue until the leaders apologise." While interacting with protesters at Jamkhed Phata, Thackeray stressed on the importance of addressing the Maratha community's concerns. He pledged to examine the legal aspects of their demands and engage with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to find a resolution to the issue. Thackeray warned that the marks of lathis on the agitators should be remembered when elections are round the corner. He added, "Earlier, politicians promised a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea (off Mumbai coast) and took your votes. But after taking your votes, they ignore your issues." Responding to the situation, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called on the opposition not to politicise the issue. Thackeray countered this by suggesting that Fadnavis would have taken a similar stance if he were in the opposition. Meanwhile, BJP national secretary Pankaja Munde, who embarked on her Shiv Shakti Yatra from Aurangabad, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. She called for an impartial inquiry into the incident and emphasised that the reservation issue for the Marathas be approached as a constitutional matter rather than a political one. In the midst of these developments, tensions remain high in Jalna, with additional police deployments in response to stone-pelting incidents in Osmanabad. Special Inspector General Dnyaneshwar Sadashiv Chavan appealed for peace, expressing concerns for the well-being of both the police and the public on September 3. He called for an end to violence and the protection of public property. (With PTI inputs)

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Raj Thackeray meets protesters amid Maratha reservation demand

The MNS chief pledged to examine the legal aspects of the demands raised by the protesters and engage with CM Eknath Shinde to find a resolution to the issue.

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