Maratha quota stir | Amid continued violence, Jarange threatens to stop water intake

Activist Manoj Jarange has threatened to stop drinking water from Wednesday (November 1) evening if the Maharashtra government does not fulfil his demand for reservation to the Maratha community.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called an all-party meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday morning to discuss the situation amid the intensified Maratha quota agitation which took a violent turn in some parts of the state.

Shinde will apprise Opposition leaders of the government's plans to handle the situation and seek their support, an official in the Chief Minister's Office earlier said.

Curfew lifted in Beed; Sena (UBT) writes to President

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut has written to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking time to meet her and demand a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue of reservation for Maratha and Dhangar communities.

The letter, dated October 31, states that an 11-member delegation led by Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut wants to meet the president on November 5 or 6. Marathas are demanding reservation in government jobs and education under the OBC category, while the Dhangar (shepherd) community wants the ST (Scheduled Tribe) status. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had made the demand on Tuesday and said that the issue can be resolved by the Centre.

Meanwhile, curfew have been lifted in Beed which saw widespread violence by pro-quota protesters on Monday. The Beed police have registered more than 30 offences and arrested 99 people so far in connection with the violence.

Prohibitory orders will continue in the district, located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and Internet services are still shut to maintain law and order, police said.

In Dharashiv district which has also witnessed protests in support of the Maratha quota, curfew will be lifted at 5 pm on Wednesday, but prohibitory orders will remain in force, as per a release issued by the district collector.

Security has been beefed up near the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur amid the pro-quota agitation. A group of Maratha quota supporters earlier said they would launch a 'Mundan Andolan' (head tonsuring) in Mahal area of Nagpur on Wednesday.

In the latest incident of violence over the issue, Maratha quota agitators on Wednesday morning vandalised Cabinet minister Hasan Mushrif’s SUV parked in south Mumbai, police said. Three persons were detained by the Marine Drive police, an official said.

Mushrif belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

On October 26, two cars of lawyer Gunaratna Sadavarte, who is a vociferous opponent of Maratha reservation, were vandalised in Parel area in Mumbai. Three men were later arrested for damaging the vehicles, police earlier said.

Nanded: SP injured in stone pelting, Collector prohibits agitations

On Tuesday evening (October 31), Nanded district Superintendent of Police Shrikrishna Kokate was injured in stone pelting during a demonstration staged by supporters of the Maratha quota demand, an official said.

The incident took place in Kushnoor area of the district where hundreds of Maratha activists had gathered demanding reservation for the community, he said. Kokate appealed to the agitators to maintain peace, but stones were hurled at him and he sustained injury to his hand, the official said.

At least 40 persons were detained in connection with the incident, he added.

The Nanded collector has prohibited agitations on roads and highways in the district in central Maharashtra, an official said on Tuesday, an order coming in the wake of violence and arson during the ongoing Maratha reservation agitation.

To ensure uninterrupted movement of vehicles, collector Abhijit Raut has prohibited agitations on roads and highways in the district in the Marathwada region, an official release said.

"Rasta roko" (block the roads agitation) and rallies on national and state highways besides other roads have been prohibited by the collector in the district, said the release.

Marathwada in central Maharashtra, which has eight districts, has emerged as the epicentre of the agitation launched to seek reservation for Maratha community members in government jobs and education. Beed district in the region witnessed large-scale violence and arson during the quota agitation on Monday (October 30).

Curfew in parts of Beed lifted

The Beed administration on Wednesday morning lifted curfew imposed in parts of the district after violence during the Maratha quota agitation on Monday, officials said.

Prohibition orders will continue in the district, located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and Internet services are still shut to maintain law and order, they said.

“There is no relaxation in curfew in Dharashiv district as of now”, the officials said.

The Beed police have registered more than 30 offences and arrested 99 people so far in connection with the violence, they said.

After violence in Beed on Monday (October 30), curfew was enforced in a periphery of 5 kilometres from the collector office, head offices of talukas along with all national highways passing through the district.

"Curfew in Beed district has been revoked by the district administration at 6 am on Wednesday. Prohibitory orders still exist in the district," an official said.

"Internet services are still shut in Beed," Collector Deepa Mudhol Munde told reporters.

The residence of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke at Majalgaon town in Beed was set on fire and stones were hurled at it by a group of quota agitators on Monday morning (October 30).

The group also set ablaze a car parked at the residence after an audio clip of the MLA, in which he purportedly spoke about the Maratha quota agitation and made a veiled comment on quota activist Manoj Jarange who is on an indefinite fast, went viral.

Later, the protesters set ablaze the first floor of the Majalgaon Municipal Council building.

Another group of protesters barged into the residential premises and office of NCP MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar in Beed city and set them on fire on Monday evening (October 30).

The residence of former Maharashtra minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar in the city was also torched.

Police fired tear gas shells to disperse a mob that had gathered outside the residence of NCP leader Amarsingh Pandit.

Curfew continues in Dharashiv district

Curfew is still on in Dharashiv district and a decision to revoke it will be taken after a review by the administration, an official from Dharashiv said.

On Tuesday (October 31), prohibitory orders were also imposed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district by Collector Aastik Kumar Pandey to maintain law and order.

Maharashtra's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sanjay Saxena visited Beed district on Tuesday (October 31) to take stock of the situation after large-scale violence there during the Maratha quota agitation.

“ADG Saxena has been reviewing the situation in Beed. He will also submit a report about the situation to the government,” the official said.

Govt order for Kunbi caste certificates

On Tuesday (October 31), the Maharashtra government published an order asking officials concerned to issue fresh Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Maratha community members, paving the way for them to avail reservation benefits under the OBC category.

A government resolution (GR) asked the officials to translate old documents having references to Kunbis and written in Urdu and 'Modi' script (which was used to write Marathi language in earlier times). These documents are to be digitised, attested, and then put in the public domain.

Jarange on Tuesday (October 31) expressed displeasure over the state cabinet's decision to grant Kunbi caste certificates to the Marathas in the Marathwada region.

"Don't be selective in granting reservation. Give Kunbi caste certificates to all Marathas. Officials should not distribute these (Kunbi) certificates (as declared by the government). The government should accept the first report of the Justice Shinde committee and convene a special session of the legislature to decide on the Maratha quota," he said.

He also noted that some Maratha quota agitators were detained by the police at Kej in the violence-hit Beed district, but have now been released.

"I will still take a review of this," he said.

Jarange hits out at BJP leaders

Jarange has hit out at the ruling BJP leaders over some of their statements on the Maratha quota agitation.

"The leaders should not speak now on the issue. They speak sweetly to us but register offences against agitators. That is why the BJP is on the decline," he said.

The activist said there was anger among people over the suspension of Internet services in Beed and Jalna, following violence over the Maratha reservation demand.

"You are destroying the career of Maratha youth. But destroying your career is in the hands of the Maratha community," Jarange claimed, targeting leaders in the government.

Jarange, who has been observing a fast at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district since October 25, told reporters that leaders of all parties should ask the state government to call a special session of the legislature and give reservation to the Maratha community.

The agitation of the Maratha community has intensified and taken a violent turn in some parts of Maharashtra after activist Manoj Jarange launched a hunger strike for the reservation demand on October 25.

After violent incidents in various parts of the state over the demand for Maratha reservation, the Mumbai police have stepped up security for cabinet ministers, other political leaders, offices of political parties, and important places in the metropolis.

(With agency inputs)