On Monday, police detained several activists from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community in Jalna district. These individuals were participating in a symbolic hunger strike, which they continued despite being denied official permission for the protest. This incident highlights ongoing tensions surrounding community rights and government restrictions on protests in the region.
Jalna additional superintendent of police Vikram Sali said permission for the protest had been denied due to concerns over a possible law and order situation and traffic disruption.
The protesters accused state govt of adopting a “double standard” and showing “stepmotherly treatment” towards the OBC community. He said the symbolic hunger strike was also being held without the required permission. “We were presenting our constitutional position to protect our reservation, but we were prevented from doing even that,” Sasane said, warning that the OBC activists would tour Maharashtra and launch a stronger agitation if they felt the community’s reservation was under threat. Sasane also said the OBC community would oppose govt in upcoming elections over what he described as its “double standard” approach.
Wadigodri is located a few kilometres from Antarwali Sarati, where Jarange is on an indefinite hunger strike. The OBC protest site was situated about a kilometre away. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Tension prevailed at Wadigodri village in Jalna district on Monday after police detained several OBC activists who continued a symbolic hunger strike despite being denied permission to protest amid the ongoing Maratha reservation agitation led by Manoj Jarange. The OBC activists had launched their agitation on Sunday but were told by police to call it off on Monday morning.