“This is a sign of dictatorship. Youth were detained late at night and their mobiles were snatched,” said NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare.

Mumbai: It seems like the controversy over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state chief Raosaheb Danve’s remarks has only begun as protestors in Osmanabad waving black flags against chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had to face lathi-charge. The protest was held against Mr Danve’s remarks. Six youths were also detained by Jalna police for protesting in front of Mr Danve’s residence until the chief minister was in the district on Saturday evening for official programmes. Farmers’ groups as well as political parties strongly condemned police’s actions and demanded Mr Danve’s sacking.

Mr Fadnavis was in Osmanabad and Jalna districts of Marathwada region to visit places where the Jalyukta Shivar scheme has been implemented. However, the chief minister had to face the anger of tur-cultivating farmers after Mr Danve’s derogatory statement on them. Local workers of Shetkari Sanghatana (Farmer Organisation) showed him black flags and chanted slogans against Mr Danve. The police used force to disburse the protestors.

The six youths were detained because they had observed a fast in front of Mr Danve’s residence in Bhokardan city of Jalna on Friday late night. Three of them were from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) but the other three had no political inclination, which is why detaining them late at night and keeping them behind bars in Jalana’s Sadar Bazar police station was widely criticised by many.

“This is a sign of dictatorship. Youth were detained late at night and their mobiles were snatched,” said NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare.