According to Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, the BJP-Shiv Sena-led state government has asked for an all-party conference to be held in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the Maratha quota issue.
In the meanwhile, the Sakal Maratha Morcha, supported by the Sambhaji Brigade, demanded a “bandh” in Thane, Maharashtra, to protest the police’s use of lathi against the Maratha quota protesters in the Jalna area. Local opposition party leaders in the state have formally endorsed the bandh.
although speaking to a crowd in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, Pawar noted that although some Maratha people were wealthy, many were impoverished and in need of assistance. “It is important to make sure that Other Backward Classes are not impacted while providing the Maratha group with a quota. This problem can only be resolved by meetings and conversations, he said.
To tackle the quota problem, an all-party conference has been scheduled for Monday in Mumbai, according to Pawar.
Manoj Jarange, a Maratha activist who has been on a 13-day hunger strike, is said to have given up on water and intravenous (IV) fluids, according to a report. Jarange is the face of the protest. He has been on strike as he wants all Marathas to get Kunbi status, which is practically an OBC quota.
current updates
– Some Protesters are Arrested by the Police; One Says the BJP Supports the Bandh
Some of the protesters have been apprehended by the police and escorted to the Thane police station. The protesters have said that all NCP, Shiv Sena (UT), and even BJP officials are in favor of the bandh; the only group that is against it is the Eknath Shinde faction.
– Protesters call for the closure of businesses and ask motorists to avoid the roads
In Thane, protesters have requested that businesses close today in observance of the bandh and that cars remain off the roads. Police officers have been stationed in various places.
– State Government Called All Party Meeting
The Maratha quota controversy will be discussed in an all-party conference in Mumbai, according to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
He said that although some Maratha people were wealthy, many were impoverished and in need of assistance.
– Sakal Maratha Morcha Requests Today’s Thane Bandh
Sambhaji Brigade and Sakal Maratha Morcha have called for a “bandh” in Thane, Maharashtra, to protest police use of lathi against Maratha quota protesters in Jalna district. Local opposition party leaders in the state have formally endorsed the bandh.
Local officials expressed their support for the bandh and urged Thane residents to take part in it at a meeting of the opposition parties on Saturday.
The conference was attended by the city unit president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Suhas Desai, his Shiv Sena (UBT) counterpart, Pradeep Shinde, MNS leaders Ravindra More and Avinash Jadhav, Ramesh Ambre of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, and Vikrant Chavan of the Congress.
– A five-person delegation will speak with Maha CM.
A five-person team headed to Mumbai in the meantime to meet with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Arjun Khotkar, the head of the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), Madhukar Rajeardad, the sarpanch of Antarwali Sarati village, and two quota activists boarded a flight from Aurangabad airport to Mumbai in the evening, Khotkar informed PTI.
On Thursday, the state government issued a Government Resolution (GR) stating that Kunbi caste certificates will only be awarded upon the provision of genealogical data from the Nizam rule by Maratha community members from the Marathwada area. The area once belonged to the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad state.
What took place? All You Need to Know About What The Protest Is About
Manoj Jarange led the protesters who had been waging a hunger strike since August 29 in order to demand Jalna’s Maratha minority be given a quota. The Supreme Court invalidated the Maratha community’s right to a reservation in work and education in May 2021, among other reasons citing the 50 percent cap on overall reservations.
After that, on September 1, the demonstration became violent as protesters started throwing stones, injuring at least 40 police officers. At Antarwali hamlet in Dhule-Solapur, police fired tear gas canisters at a throng in an effort to disperse them.
Over 360 people were in the case, according to the police. “An offence was registered at Gondi police station in Jalna against 16 agitators, who have been identified, and approximately 350 other people for their involvement in violence,” a senior police officer said.
According to him, the complaint was filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 333 (voluntarily inflicting serious harm to prevent a public servant from doing his job), 353 (assault or criminal force to prevent a public servant from performing his duty), and others.
In addition to the wounded police officer, many private automobiles and at least 15 public transportation buses were vandalized and set on fire during the protest violence.