Under fire for lathi-charge on Maratha quota protesters in Jalna district, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said the government regrets the use of force by police.
He also said the lathi-charge order was not given by any top official to the Jana Police last week. "Such decisions (use of police force etc.) are taken at the local level," Mr Fadnavis, who handles the Home Department, told reporters here.
"Maharashtra government expresses regret for the use of force by police in Jalna district a few days back," he said.
Police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district on Friday after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital.
Several persons. including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in violence.
Fadnavis also criticised the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
"When I was the chief minister of Maharashtra (from 2014 to 2019), our government granted reservation to Marathas which was also approved by the Bombay High Court. However, the Supreme Court rejected this quota. But the government that came to power after us didn't take any legal steps to provide reservation to the Maratha community," he said.
Why didn't the then CM Thackeray issue an ordinance granting reservation to Marathas? Mr Fadnavis asked.
Mr Thackeray has reacted sharply to Mr Fadnavis' claim later in the day.
"I never thought Fadnavis' knowledge is so acutely short. He doesn't even deserve to be allowed to come near Mantralaya (the state secretariat). How can the state government issue an ordinance against the decision of the Supreme Court?" the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief asked.
Mr Thackeray demanded the Union government amend the Constitution and grant the reservation to Marathas in the upcoming special session of Parliament.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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