Maratha Quota: Curfew Clamped, Internet Shut In Beed As 3 MLAs' Homes Targetted By Protestors — Updates

Maratha Quota Protest: Homes belonging to 2 NCP MLAs were set on fire and the office of another legislator from the ruling BJP was vandalised. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange condemned the violence.

Activists of Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj during a protest march demanding Maratha reservation, in Karad | Maratha reservation agitators set on fire the residence of NCP MLA Prakash Solanke in Beed.

Source : PTI

The ongoing agitation demanding reservation for the Maratha community took a violent turn on Monday as protestors resorted to arson and vandalism in various parts of Maharashtra. Demonstrators targeted the homes and offices of three Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) while also attacking a municipal council building and causing disruptions in road traffic, news agency PTI reported. Homes belonging to two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs were set on fire, and the office of another legislator from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was vandalised.

A curfew has been imposed in sections of Maharashtra's Beed district following incidents of large-scale violence and arson during the ongoing agitation for Maratha reservation. Two Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and a former state minister have faced the wrath of protesters, according to local authorities, PTI reported.

Internet services have also been suspended in Beed, central Maharashtra, as a precautionary measure.

Maratha Quota: Violence Breaks Out In Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Activist Jarange Condemns Incidents 

• The violent episodes unfolded in central Maharashtra's Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts, even as Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange continued his indefinite fast in support of the reservation demand in Jalna district. His fast, now in its sixth day, took a concerning turn when he collapsed on the stage. Concerned supporters offered him some water, and Jarange appealed for peace, stating that violent incidents would tarnish the image of their protest, PTI reported.
  
  
• The residence of NCP MLA Solanke in Majalgaon town, Beed district, was set ablaze, and it was also pelted with stones by a group of quota protestors. This incident occurred after an audio clip of the MLA surfaced, in which he appeared to comment on the Maratha quota agitation and made veiled references to the fasting quota activist, Jarange. The viral audio clip led to a local bandh (strike), which escalated into violence, culminating in the burning of the MLA's house and car.
  
  
• Maratha reservation agitators also set fire to the NCP office in Beed City. In response to the escalating situation, the district collector has taken the decision to impose a curfew in select areas of Beed until further notice. The curfew has been implemented within a 5-kilometre radius from the collector's office, the head offices of talukas, and all national highways traversing the district, PTI reported.

  Inspector General of Police (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar range) Dnyaneswar Chavan told PTI that security has been heightened at the residences and offices of public representatives and ministers. The curfew has been implemented to restore order and maintain peace in the region as authorities address the ongoing Maratha reservation agitation.

  
  
  
• Afterward, some protesters set fire to the first floor of the Majalgaon Municipal Council building, vandalising the property. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames without any casualties.
  
  
• Meanwhile, in Beed city, Maratha quota activists entered the residential premises and office of NCP MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar, setting them on fire in the evening. Police quickly intervened to disperse the crowd that had gathered outside the MLA's residence and office. To maintain law and order, a company of the State Reserve Police Force, comprising around 100 personnel, was deployed in Beed district. Pro-quota protests were taking place at multiple locations in the district, PTI reported.
  
  
• In addition to these incidents, protestors also blocked a section of the Samruddhi Expressway at Jalna, causing traffic congestion on the Mumbai-bound lane of the road. Another group blocked the Solapur-Akkalkot Highway by placing burning tyres on the road.
  
  
• Furthermore, Maratha quota supporters vandalised the office of BJP MLA Prashant Bamb in Gangapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, damaging windows and furniture. Two individuals were detained for questioning.
  
  
• In the midst of the unrest, Jarange, while addressing the media in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, expressed concern about the recent acts of violence and arson. He believed that such actions could tarnish the image of their protest and suspected the involvement of individuals with vested interests, potentially those in positions of power.
  
  "I firmly believe common Maratha people are not behind these acts of violence. It is my sincere request to all protesters: refrain from any form of violence or arson. Such actions only play into the hands of those trying to defame our movement," he said, as quoted by PTI.
  
  Jarange appealed urged the Maratha community to steer clear of political influences, emphasizing that violence would not bring justice, and unity and peaceful demonstrations were their strengths.

• Shiv Sena MPs from Nashik and Hingoli, loyalists of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have resigned in support of the Maratha reservation demand. Hingoli MP Hemant Patil submitted his resignation to the Lok Sabha secretariat in New Delhi on Monday, while Nashik MP Hemant Godse sent his resignation letter to CM Shinde, PTI reported.

• CM Shinde assured that 11,530 old records mentioning the Kunbi caste would be updated to issue fresh certificates from Tuesday. Kunbis, associated with agriculture, are grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Maharashtra, granting them reservation benefits in education and government jobs.

  A committee of experts will advise the state government on submitting a proposed curative petition to the Supreme Court regarding the Maratha quota issue. A government representative is set to hold talks with quota activist Jarange, the Chief Minister said.

• Protests have damaged at least 13 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses in the last 48 hours, leading to the closure of operations in 30 of its 250 depots, PTI reported an official as saying.

• Supriya Sule, a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), called for the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, over the Maratha quota violence. "Maharashtra home minister (Fadnavis) should resign. Look at the violence. What is happening in the state? A house of an MLA was set ablaze. A Panchayat Samiti office was also torched. Is anyone looking into these incidents?" she asked, as per PTI.

Maratha community members have been staging protests across the state, seeking reservations in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The agitation gained momentum when Jarange launched an indefinite fast on October 25 as part of the second phase of the protest, following his earlier hunger strike from August 29 to September 14. The government had assured to address their reservation demands at that time.