Agitators move away from the highway, makes way for traffic. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
The Maratha Kranti Morcha on Wednesday called off its state-wide bandh after an intensified protest for almost two days, demanding reservation in jobs and education on Wednesday. The pro-reservation groups today tried staging a “peaceful” strike in the state, however, several incidents of violence were reported. At least three buses were put on fire and nine others were deflated. Essential services like hospitals, school, medical were exempted from the Bandh. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Tuesday called for an emergency high-level meeting to review the “progress” made by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on the issue.
The Maratha leaders want the government to give them OBC status and not reservation because any quota, beyond the existing 50 per cent, would be difficult to implement. On the other hand, if the Marathas are granted OBC status, they would qualify for the existing OBC quotas.
Read | Why Maratha community is on the warpath again
The protesters have now vowed to gherao ‘Varsha’, the official residence of the chief minister in Mumbai, press for his resignation and seek finality to their demands.
Maratha reservation Protest in pictures
In a scheduled recruitment to 72,000 government jobs, Fadnavis had promised that the government would keep 16 per cent positions reserved for the Marathas. “There would be no injustice meted out to the Maratha community.”
Activists ask the shop owners to shut the shops in the city as the Maratha Kranti Morcha-called statewide Bandh Express photo by Arul Horizon
Following the protest over reservation demand, Shiv Sena MLA from Kannad (Aurangabad) constituency, Harshvardhan Jadhav offered his resignation to Vidhan Sabha speaker via email. The MLA has left for Mumbai, where he will submit a copy of his resignation to the Vidhan Sabha speaker.
Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan commenting on the ongoing quota stir was quoted by ANI as saying, "There's no question of us taking political benefit.Till when you'll deceive people in name of discussions? BJP and Shiv Sena are taking political benefits by asking people to vote in their favour and then they will help."
According to news agency ANI, the train services between Thane and Vashi on Trans-Harbour line, which were stalled due to protest over ongoing quota demand, d after the Maratha body called off their protest.
After ongoing quota stir turned violent in Maharashtra, state PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil apologised to the Maratha bodies over his remarks, claiming that his statements were 'twisted'.
Speaking with reporters, the minister was quoted by PTI as saying: "I am requesting (the protesters) with folded hands to stop the ongoing violence. Maharashtra has a tradition of resolving problems amicably."
The minister added, "I had stated that 58 rallies had been conducted (by the Marathas for their demands) in a peaceful manner. Everybody had hailed these peaceful rallies and even the state government had also acknowledged the same. This peaceful agitation should not be maligned due to ongoing protests."
Three policemen, including Satara's Superintendent of Police Sandeep Patil, were injured while police was trying to the curb the violent protesters at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai. A police official said the protesters threw stones at policemen and also tried blocking the Mumbai-Goa and Mumbai-Pune highways.
Virendra Pawar, the leader of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, was quoted by PTI as saying, "We only wanted to prove that we are together and proved it. We never wanted protests to get violent and therefore, we are calling off our bandh in Mumbai for today." He added, "We suspect some people carried out violent activities with political motives. Otherwise, it was supposed to be peaceful like before. But considering the reports of violence coming from outside Mumbai, we decided to call it off."
Even after appealing for a peaceful strike, protestors across the state have turned violent. Vehicles have been burnt, buses have been vandalised.
Till now, three BEST buses have been damaged and tyres of nine buses have been deflated.
Two years after the Maratha community took to streets across Maharashtra holding silent marches and demanding quota in jobs, the community, which forms 33 per cent of the state’s population, has now turned aggressive. For the last four-five days, Maharashtra is witnessing sporadic incidents of violence like torching of buses, tyres and rasta rokos mainly in Marathwada, western Maharashtra and Konkan regions. The pro-reservation community continued with the bandh today and appealed the people to conduct a "peaceful bandh"
Security has been deployed at various places to avoid any untoward incident. The pro-reservation groups have exempted schools, hospitals, medical and other essential services, including vegetables from the bandh. No school buses were attacked or stopped in any area. Ambulance services were also running normal, a senior official of the public health department said. The Shiv Sena has been supporting the Maratha community's demand for reservation but decided not to participate in the protest. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Trying to observe a " peaceful" protest, Protestors are now shutting down petrol pumps, they have also urged the Thane depot manager not to ply buses today.
Protesters are not allowing buses to ply outside Thane depot. They are also trying to block vehicular movement at western express highway (Express Photo)
Jagannath Sonawane (45) who had attempted suicide after consuming poison on Tuesday, died today in a hospital in Aurangabad. At least nine BEST buses have damaged in parts of Navi Mumbai, Andheri and Kandivali till now.
Maratha reservation stir intensifies as protesters gather and vandalise bus properties on Ghodbandar road flyover. (Express Photo)
All shops near Jogeshwari station shut. Commuters walk to the station as no auto rickshaws, two-wheelers are being allowed. Buses from ghodbandar road being stopped mid-way in Thane. Violence is being noticed in some parts of the state as stones were pelted on some TMT buses, no injuries have been reported so far.
After stones were pelted at two buses of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport in Ghansoli, bus services have been suspended between Mulund and Airoli.
The Maratha community claimed that the government need not wait for the commission to finalise its report as the Backward Class Commission was already considering the proposal to accord OBC status to Marathas, and its work was going on. “We do not know when the commission will complete its work. This means the government will not be able to take the decision as in a few months’ time the general elections will be upon us. The government will get a chance to play votebank politics by promising quota for the community during election campaigning,” the community leaders say.
Maratha leaders disagree with the suggestion that the timing of their fresh agitation is linked to next year’s general elections. Instead, they point out, the immediate trigger for their protest is the announcement by Fadnavis in the state Assembly on July 20 that his government would provide 16 per cent reservation in government jobs to the Maratha community.
Protesters in Thane demand schools to be shut. Traffic has been affected in parts of the city.