Mumbai: Protests by various Maratha groups led by Maratha Karanti Morcha continued for the third consecutive day with fresh demonstrations held in Mumbai, Thane, Buldhana, Solapur, Osmanabad, Ahmednagar, Nanded, Baramati, Akola, Nashik and other places against the police action on the community in Jalna.
Following the unabated protests in various parts of the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde apologized and gave a renewed call for peace Sunday.
State transport bus services remained suspended in several places, including Solapur and Pune. Maratha protesters in Ahmednagar and Nashik called a day-long bandh, shutdown call, Sunday demanding immediate notification granting reservation in education and government to Maratha community.
The protesters at some places also raised slogans against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who also holds Home Ministery.
The street agitation was the fallout of Saturday incident where police used baton and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd at Antarwali Sarathi in Jalna district.
The clashes between police and protesters left more than 40 injured both sides. Police had gone to the site to shift Manoj Jarasange who was on an indefinite hunger strike to hospital.
Deputy CM Fadnavis police was forced to take action after stone pelting. On the other hand, BJP leader Pankaja Munde said the protesters said they were not involved in stone pelting. “Believing them, a fair probe of the entire incident is needed”, she said.
On Sunday, some persons set afire two tyres on a Thane road, a government warehouse and a vehicle was set ablaze late night in Hingoli, while demonstrations and protests in different forms continued in several other districts.
Meanwhile, a video of a Sarpanch of a village in Beed district setting on fire his own car is going viral. The Sarpanch, it is claimed, set his car on fire to protest police action on Maratha protesters in Jalna.
Maratha groups have called for shutdowns in different parts of the state from Monday including Jalna, Hingoli, Aurangabad, Nanded and continuing other modes of action over the next few days.
Maharashtra Samyukt Kisan Morcha leader Dr. Ashok Dhawale has strongly condemned the police action on the protesting Marathas, 90 per cent of whom are farmers and supported their demands, ahead of the organisation’s convention in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Amidst the widespread by Maratha groups, Chief Minister Shinde issued a renewed call for peace, assuring that the “state government is committed to extending education and job quotas to the Maratha community”.
Speaking at a function in Buldhna, Shinde also urged the Maratha youth to beware of those trying to make political gain out of the situation, and said the government is holding meetings with the protestors and their demands are under consideration.
Meanwhile, the Jalna police on Sunday clamped prohibitory orders for two weeks till September 17 in the entire district banning assembly of five or more persons in view of the tense situation there.
[With inputs from agencies.]
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