Maharashtra Bandh: Marathas intensify protest, demand Fadnavis’ apology

As the Maratha community’s agitation for reservation in jobs and education intensifies, the Maratha Kranti Morcha has called for a bandh in Mumbai and adjoining areas on Wednesday. In Pic: Maratha Kranti Morcha organisers during a meeting for Mumbai bandh at Shivaji Mandir, Dadar. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)

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Police in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Satara districts on their toes to prevent law and order problem during Maharashtra bandh. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

Even after appealing for a peaceful strike, protestors across the state have turned violent. Vehicles have been burnt, buses have been vandalised.(Express Photo by Prashant Nadkar)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

Till now, three BEST buses have been damaged and tyres of nine buses have been deflated. (Express Photo)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

Ambulance services were 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)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

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.(Express Photo)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

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. (Express Photo)

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Agitators have started gathering at various locations in the Mumbai region and the neighbouring Raigad and Palghar districts. At some places, protesters raised slogans against Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Public Works Department Minister Chandrakant Patil for allegedly insulting sentiments of the Maratha community. (Express Photo)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

The Marathi Kranti Morcha will continue agitation until state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis issues an apology to the community. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

Maratha reservation stir intensifies as protesters gather and vandalise buses on Ghodbandar road flyover. (Express Photo)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

Maharashtra on Tuesday observed a state-wide bandh being observed by Maratha outfits, a day after the death of a Maratha youth in Aurangabad. The man identified as 27-year-old, Kakasaheb Shinde jumped into a river to commit suicide. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

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.(Express photo by Arul Horizon)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

On the other hand, if the Marathas are granted OBC status, they would qualify for the existing OBC quotas. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

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. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

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Aurangabad: Pro-reservation outfits of Maratha community burn a vehicle after a clash with the police personnel during the funeral of Kakasaheb Shinde, who died during a protest march in favour of reservations in Kaygaon village at Aurangabad on Tuesday. (Source: PTI)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday called for an emergency high-level meeting to review the “progress” made by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on the issue. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)

READ LIVE UPDATES Strike enters second day, agitators gather amid heavy police deployment