"Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar will face consequences": Sanjay Raut after police crackdown on protesters

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Mahrashtra government over the alleged lathi charge on protestors demanding reservation for the Maratha community in Jalna district, saying that Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde, his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will have to face the consequences.

Addressing media persons on Saturday, Raut said, "There is no place for such an attack on peaceful protesters in a democracy.”

Raut said the attack on protesters was a ploy to divert the people's attention from the INDIA bloc meeting in Mumbai.

“Why did the police have to resort to a lathi charge? This attack was a ploy to divert public attention from the INDIA meeting in Mumbai. The Opposition leaders were in a huddle and all eyes were on the meeting. Just when the people were hoping for a positive outcome of the meeting, the protesters were attacking to take the focus away from the huddle," Raut said.

“This government of Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will have to face the consequences," he added. Earlier, former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, too, condemned the incident saying it reflected the failure of the state administration.

"The protest was being held peacefully. It was crushed in the most inhumane manner. I condemn this incident. There have been demonstrations in demand for reservation for the Maratha community but there has never been a police crackdown as brutal as this," Deshmukh said.

"If there were anti-social elements in the protest, then one would have understood the police lathi charge. The way the government crushed the protest should be condemned. The BJP used to talk big on the Maratha reservation. When Devendra Fadnavis was the CM, he had promised to fulfil all demands put forward by the Maratha community. He should come clean on how many of these demands he has fulfilled. This incident represents a total failure of the government. The people will give a fitting reply," he added.