Maharashtra bandh: Protesters storm into Pune collector office, Police lathi-charge

The Maratha-sponsored shutdown demanding employment and education quotas in Maharashtra turned violent on Thursday as an agitated mob stormed into the collector's office in Pune and vandalised it. The Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, has called for a 'bandh' on Thursday across Maharashtra. Photo: ABP News

PUNE: The Maratha-sponsored shutdown demanding employment and education quotas in Maharashtra turned violent on Thursday as an agitated mob stormed into the collector's office in Pune and vandalised the property. The Police resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. As the strike began, around 4,000 to 5,000 agitators gathered outside the collectorate in the morning. Some of the agitators scaled a wall at the collector's office and shouted slogans in support of their demands. Similar scenes were witnessed in the heart of the city where a hotel was vandalised by a group of protesters, who barged into the building during the quota stir. The pro-reservation agitators also took out a bike rally in Pune district. Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, has called for a 'bandh' on Thursday across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai which had witnessed large-scale violence last month during protests by the community. Internet services were suspended in the district to prevent rumour-mongering in view of the agitation. Over 7,000 police personnel have been deployed in the city, along with some companies of the State Reserve Police Force and Rapid Action Force, to maintain law and order. Also, the agitators disrupted road traffic in some parts of the state. Protesters halted buses and other vehicles on roads in Latur, Jalna, Solapur and Buldhana districts, officials said. A pro-quota group in Latur blocked roads from midnight and disrupted the vehicular movement. There were similar protests in Nashik, Buldhana and Solapur districts where agitators blocked roads in some areas this morning, police officials said. The state-run public transport services have been partially suspended in Osmanabad and Buldhana districts to avoid any damage as protesters had targeted buses in the previous round of agitation last month. The 'bandh' is being organised despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' assurances that his government was working on providing reservation to Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions, one that is legally sustainable. Fadnavis had sought time till November to take steps with regard to the quota. (With PTI inputs)