Ajit Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, has asked Suraj Chavan to resign immediately from the position of state president of the party, following his involvement in the assault on Chhava Sanghatana activists in Latur.
"In the backdrop of an extremely serious and condemnable incident that occurred in Latur yesterday, I have given clear instructions to Suraj Chavan, the state president of the Nationalist Youth Congress, to immediately resign from his post," Mr Pawar, who is also Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, posted on social media.
What Happened in Latur?
The flashpoint came during party MP Sunil Tatkare's Latur tour. While he was addressing the media, workers from the Chaava organisation interrupted the press conference and demanded the resignation of Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate.
Vijaykumar Ghadge, a Chaava leader, threw playing cards at Tatkare, symbolically protesting against Mr Kokate, who was recently caught on camera allegedly playing rummy in the state assembly - a video that was made public by MLA Rohit Pawar.
"The assembly is meant to make laws for farmers and common people of the state. It is not a place to play cards. Remove Kokate from his post, he is bringing disrepute to your party," Mr Ghadge told Mr Tatkare.
The Aftermath and Attack
Soon after the protest, NCP Youth Wing members, led by their president Suraj Chavan, attacked the Chaava workers and verbally abused them. According to NDTV sources, Mr Tatkare was at a different guest house when the incident took place.
The police responded promptly by evacuating the NCP workers from the guest house and providing protection to Mr Ghadge.
In a statement to NDTV, Suraj Chavan justified the attack by alleging that the Chaava workers had used "unconstitutional and lowly language" against their leader. However, no such remarks were found in the circulated video.
Police Action and Chavan's Apology
An FIR was registered against Mr Chavan and 12 others, though they are missing.
Early this morning, Mr Chavan posted a video expressing regret over the incident. He reiterated that his reaction was due to alleged verbal insults against his party leader.
"Some outlets are saying that we beat Vijay Ghadge because he spoke about the issues of the farmers. I am a son of a farmer, I consider it my duty to stand by anyone who's speaking for farmers. We did what we did because of the use of unconstitutional words. I regret the same. I'll soon meet Vijay Ghadge and clear his doubts," Mr Chavan said.
What is Chaava?
The Chaava Sanghatana is a Maratha youth organisation that promotes cultural values and advocates for farmers' issues in Marathwada. Though not formally aligned with any political party, the group has grown influential, especially among rural youth.
Widening Protests Across Marathwada
Following the Latur attack, Chaava called for a Latur Bandh, which was widely supported by Maratha organisations and farmers. Protests soon spread to Jalna, Sambhaji Nagar, Nanded, and Nashik, with demonstrators tearing down posters of Ajit Pawar and demanding action against both Chavan and Minister Kokate.
Vijay Ghadge also reached out to Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange and farmers' leader Raju Shetti, who extended their support.
Political Reactions
The fallout from the Latur incident has drawn sharp reactions. While Sunil Tatkare distanced himself from the violence, clarifying that he was not present. However, leaders from the opposition came down heavily on the Ajit Pawar-led faction.
Sanjay Raut of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) condemned the assault on Chaava workers, likening it to gang-style violence. He also hit out at the ruling alliance for shielding Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, questioning why Devendra Fadnavis had remained silent despite clear visual evidence of misconduct.
"A minister is playing rummy - it's seen - yet he's supported. If this were any other party, Devendra Fadnavis wouldn't have left the staircase of Mantralay. He would've sat in protest," said Mr Raut.
MLA Rohit Pawar stated that while Suraj Chavan's resignation was a necessary step, it was far from sufficient.
"Maharashtra is awaiting the resignation of the Agriculture Minister, who has been rubbing salt in the wounds of farmers," wrote Mr Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar.
Rohini Khadse, another NCP-SP leader, echoed the sentiment. She described Chavan's removal as a "small fish" sacrifice to protect the "favoured big fish," insisting that the real political responsibility lay with Mr Kokate.
Ms Khadse demanded that Ajit Pawar show political will by taking action against ministers who show disregard for the Assembly and the plight of farmers.
While Ajit Pawar's faction has officially condemned the Latur incident and asked for Mr Chavan's resignation, they have stopped short of taking any disciplinary action against Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate.
