On Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to providing reservation to the Maratha community and urged citizens to maintain peace.
Regarding the recent incident in Jalna, CM Shinde explained, “In November 2014, during the coalition government under the leadership of then CM Devendra Fadnavis, the Maratha reservation was announced. The High Court upheld the government’s decision regarding Maratha Reservation. However, the Supreme Court later made a different ruling, which is widely believed to be due to negligence.”
He further stated that the Maratha Reservation issue is currently in court, and the state government is fully prepared to defend its case. Despite encountering challenges, the government is actively working to address them.
CM Shinde appealed to the Maratha community to exercise restraint and not resort to lawlessness, emphasizing that they have expressed their concerns in a sensible and peaceful manner thus far. He cautioned against individuals seeking political advantage from the situation.
The regrettable lathi-charge incident during the Jalna district agitation was acknowledged by CM Shinde. He mentioned his discussions with Jarange Patil, the leader of the movement, and meetings held under his guidance to address their demands. Despite government efforts to address their concerns, the protests continued.
CM Shinde explained that during the Jalna protest, Jarange Patil’s health deteriorated, prompting the Collector and SP to intervene due to concerns about his condition. They were requesting his admission to the hospital when the unfortunate incident occurred. CM Shinde announced a high-level inquiry into the incident and instructed that all injured individuals be treated at the government’s expense.
Earlier on Friday, clashes occurred between the police and protesters in Jalna who were demanding Maratha reservation. The police had to use lathi charges to disperse the demonstrators.
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