Who is the General Dyer behind lathi-charge on Maratha agitators? Sena leader

Pune: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday came down on Maharashtra’s Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar administration for ordering lathi-charge when Maratha agitators demanded reservation last year, The Indian Express reported.

Speaking to media in Pune, Aaditya Thackeray sought to know the ‘General Dyer’ who ordered the police action against protesters at Antarwal-Saraati village in Maharashtra’s Jalna district on September 1, 2023.

‘After this lathi-charge, some police officers were transferred. Such a lathi-charge cannot take place without orders from the top. Who was the ‘General Dyer’ who gave the orders for police lathi-charge? We need to understand whether it was the Chief Minister or two of the Deputy Chief Ministers who had given the orders, he was quoted as saying.

The Sena leader went head asking: ‘In Pune, several wrong activities are taking place. And it seems the state government is backing such wrong activities. Is this a government working for the common man or the contractors?’

Highlighting what he said the worsening law and order situation in the state, he pointed at the confiscation of drugs in large quantities in Pune.

‘The police are taking action in the matter. But pictures of politicians with goons are going viral. Law and order has gone for a toss… Does a government exist in Maharashtra?” he was quoted as asking.

Accusing the BJP of moving against democracy, he said: ‘First, they split the Shiv Sena and then the NCP. Now, they are trying to break the Congress. From this, one can easily conclude that the BJP is not interested in democracy.’