Mumbai: The ongoing agitation of the Maratha community for reservation intensified and turned violent at several places on Monday.
At Majalgaon in Beed district, the protesters shouted slogans, pelted stones and burnt the house of local NCP MLA Prakash Solanke. They also tried to burn the municipal council building in the town.
Office of BJP MLA vandalized
In Gangapur of Sambhaji Nagar district, the office of BJP MLA Prashant Bamb was vandalized, while, at least three incidents of vandalizing official vehicles of government officials too have come forth in other parts of Marathwada. Protest marches were organized at several places and many villages continued banning entry of political leaders, while at some places ST buses were vandalized. Shirdi town in Ahmednagar observed a shutdown in support of the Maratha quota.
Members of the Maratha community have been trying to garner support for the agitation. On one such phone call Prakash Solanke, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) MLA from Majalgaon in Beed district appealed them to join the government efforts to give lasting reservation to the community and reasoned with them against pressing for quick fixes. The conversation didn't go well with the agitators, as Solamke had not not said anything in support of the agitation earlier. Angered agitators circulated the audio clip of the conversation over social media.
The incident took place at around 1.30 pm when initially a group of 300-400 angry people wielding sticks shouted slogans against the MLA. When the police tried to disperse the crowd, they pelted stones at the MLA's residence damaging windows of his house. The mob then damaged the vehicles parked on the ground floor of the building and torched them. The MLA was on the upper floors of the building along with his family members. Fortunately, no one was injured. The mob then went to the Municipal Council of the town and torched the parts of the building damaging it.
Attempt underway to identify perpetrators
The fire brigade rushed to the site and doused off the fire while police examined CCTV footage from the vicinity in an attempt to identify perpetrators.
MLA Solanke, meanwhile, issued a statement appealing to people to keep calm. "I too belong to the Maratha community and haven't ever opposed the quota agitation. Someone has played mischief by circulating distorted audio clips of our conversation. The community shouldn't trust it and keep peace," he said in the statement.
At least nine bus depots in Nanded were shut on Monday and at least six government buses were pelted with stones in Dharashiv (formerly, Osmanabad district), and another four buses in Jalna, and the vehicles of two tehsildar in Beed were attacked with one badly damaged and another set afire in the past 24 hours.
Embarrassing the government, some unidentified persons allegedly smeared black-paint on posters heralding the 'Government to the Doorstep' event scheduled in Yavatmal which Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was scheduled to inaugurate.
Shrikant Shinde cancels Nashik visit
His son and MP Dr Shrikant Shinde cancelled his proposed visit to Nashik as Marathas have barred leaders of all political parties from entering their villages or towns.
Several leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party, National Congress Party (AP), the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) tasted the ire of the ban imposed by an estimated over 4,000 villages in different districts across the state.
Office of BJP MLA Prashant Bamb from Gangapur was vandalized by protestors on Monday evening. Fortunately no one was hurt in the incident.
The Shirdi town in Ahmednagar observed a shutdown in support of the Maratha quotas.
Jarange-Patil had issued a warning on Sunday that the agitation shall enter the third phase starting Monday, if the government doesn't budge.
