Maratha outfits decry Jalna lathicharge

Pune: Different Maratha outfits on Monday staged a protest in Baramati city in Pune district of Maharashtra against the police lathicharge on quota protesters in Jalna and demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar quit the Shiv Sena-BJP government. In Pune city, Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar group), and Congress took to the streets in Kothrud area and warned the government not to test the patience of the Maratha community. In Baramati, members of Maratha outfits raised slogans asking local NCP MLA and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to quit the government.

Slogans were also raised against BJP leader and another Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who handles the Home Department.

“Fadnavis, who is deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde-led government, has failed to make any efforts for Maratha reservation over the last year. Do not test the patience of Marathas,” said Ankush Kakade, who belongs to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, during the agitation in Pune city.