Gatherings have been banned in Maharashtra’s Beed district as protests over the Maratha quota issue turned violent yesterday and several buildings belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party and a legislator were vandalised.
Similar restrictions have been imposed in Dharashiv too.
Angry protesters on Monday threw stones at and set on fire the Beed house of MLA Prakash Solanke, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led camp of the NCP that split from Sharad Pawar’s outfit this year. The office of the Sharad Pawar faction and the Municipal House building in Beed were also set on fire.
Government buses were also set on fire in Solapur and Pandharpur by quota protesters, showed photos late at night. Security has been stepped up outside the houses of NCP leader Chhagan Bhjbal and Union Minister Narayan Rane in view of the protests.
At least 49 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Beed, Superintendent of Police Nandkumar Thakur told PTI.
Marathas have been demanding the reservation in education and government jobs. The latest protests were triggered by alleged comments against a hunger strike by pro-quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Governor Ramesh Bais and reportedly discussed the law and order situation in the state. He also discussed the issue with his deputy Defendra Fadnavis late last night.
His government is likely to accept the report of a committee led by retired judge Sandeep Shinde on how to issue Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community. After examining the documents of a lakh people, about 11,530 Marathas were found to have documents of being Kunbi, the report has said.
Discussions over calling a special assembly session may be taken up during a cabinet meeting scheduled today, said sources. Opposition parties had already raised a demand for a special session with the Governor.
Mr Solanke, whose house was set on fire in Beed, was purportedly heard calling the quota demand a “child’s game” in a widely circulated audio clip. “The person who has not even contested a gram panchayat election (seen as a dig at Manoj Patil), has become a smart person today,” he is alleged to have said.
The Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP has condemned the arson and called it a “complete failure of the (state) Home Minister”.
The Maharashtra government had earlier stated that it is committed to granting reservations to the Maratha community but that requires legal scrutiny.
