MVA takes to Pune streets against Jalna police action; blames Fadnavis, Shinde

Former mayor and NCP leader Ankush Kakade said Friday’s protest in Jalna demanding reservation was peaceful and got good public response. “The previous MVA government tried hard to ensure reservation for the community, but unfortunately it could not when challenged in the Supreme Court. Now, the Shinde government has been in power for over a year and they have not taken any effort to ensure reservation for Marathas,” he said.

Kakade said, “The Maratha community has patience, but when they lose it then they will teach a lesson to those in power. The police lathi-charged women, children and all those in the peaceful protest. They allegedly fired tear gases to make the protesters leave the site.”

City Congress chief Arvind Shinde said the Maratha community should not beg before this government as the next MVA government will ensure them reservation. “The police action was pre-planned from the way it has been executed. The protesters were pleading with the police not to beat them, but they did,” he said.

“The chief minister and both the deputy chief ministers are equally responsible for the attack on the protesters. Those in power should step down taking moral responsibility for the police action,” Arvind Shinde said, adding that the chief minister should understand that it was the Maratha community that made him the chief minister and “the same people will throw you out of power”.

Former Shiv Sena legislator Chandrakant Mokate said that the public will not forget the police action on the protesters. “Those in power have done injustice to the Maratha community and misbehaved with those demanding their right for reservation,” he said.