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Journalism of Courage
Incidents of violence were reported from parts of Maharashtra on the sixth day of the fast-unto-death by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil Monday.
Homes, vehicles, and offices of politicians and political parties were targeted at several places in Beed and Parbhani districts. Hoardings and advertisements with the images of the chief minister and deputy chief ministers were defaced in several areas. Following the developments, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Surpiya Sule demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Maharashtra is in crisis. The prime minister and Union home minister should immediately intervene. The chief minister should ask for the resignation of the state home minister as there has been a complete intelligence failure, with a legislator’s house and a government office being burnt down. The state home minister is unable to handle the situation,” said Sule.
Sule was referring to the arson at NCP MLA (Ajit Pawar faction) Prakash Solanke’s home in Majalgaon under Beed district. In the same town, the municipal council building and an NCP office have also been set on fire.
The Baramati MP said the state government has merely formed a committee to look into the Maratha quota demand. “Why did it take 40 days to do this? The state government is cheating the public. There is no law and order situation in the state as crime incidents have increased across Maharashtra,” Sule added.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) suspended bus services from Pune to Jalna, Beed, and Latur in the wake of violence over the quota issue. At present, buses are being run till Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Similarly, MSRTC buses from Nasik to Marathwada have also been cancelled. Sources said the police requested the MSRTC to suspend its services in certain areas to avoid any untoward incident.
In the Pune district, the quota protest has intensified but no violence has been reported so far. Maratha activists have ‘banned’ the entry of politicians in some more villages and expanded relay hunger strikes.
In Khed-Rajgurunagar, protesters said they observed a chain fast for 25 days and then started the indefinite hunger strike but state Cooperative Minister Dilip Walse-Patil did not even visit them. Walse-Patil is the MLA from the neighbouring Ambegaon constituency. “The minister has announced there would be no celebration on his birthday but the supporters had put up posters in the area. Thus, the protestors have put ink on the posters to blacken the face (image) of the minister,” a protester said.
In Karad under the Satara district, a huge pro-reservation rally was held. The entry of politicians has also been ‘banned’ at the Mandhardevi temple in the district.
On the Solapur-Dhule highway, protestors burnt tyres to stop vehicles passing through the area.
