Maratha quota agitation turns violent in Jalna district

A protest in support of Maratha reservation in Jalna district of central Maharashtra turned violent on Friday, leading to dozens of persons, including police personnel, being injured, officials said.

The police mounted a baton charge and fired teargas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village on Dhule-Solapur Road in Ambad tehsil. Villagers also claimed that police fired some rounds in the air, but officials did not confirm this.

The protesters, led by Manoj Jarange, had been staging a hunger strike demanding reservation for the Maratha community in the village since Tuesday.

The reservation provided by the state government for the politically dominant Maratha community was quashed by the Supreme Court earlier.

The agitation turned violent on Friday as some persons targeted state transport buses and private vehicles, the police said.

At least 18 police personnel and officials, including deputy superintendent Sachin Sangle, were injured in stone pelting while 20 protesters were injured in the baton charge in Antarwali Sarathi, police sources said.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde had spoken to the protesters on Wednesday, urging them to end the hunger strike, but they refused to relent, officials said.

On Thursday, shops and other commercial establishments of Wadigodri village in Ambad tehsil had remained closed, while there was a massive protest gathering in Shahgadh earlier in the week.

Additional police forces have despatched to Jalna, officials said.