The ongoing protest in the state of Maharashtra by the Maratha community who wants reservation in jobs and education is slowly taking a violent turn. After vandalism and arson were reported from Jalna, Beed, Dharashiv, Pune, and several other districts of Maharashtra, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif’s car was recently attacked by unidentified persons in Mumbai.
As per local reports, unidentified persons attacked NCP leader Mushrif’s car and vandalized the vehicle. The police took cognizance of the event and immediately detained 3 persons in the case. However, the Minister’s home and his family in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra have also been provided with police security.
The incident happened at the MLAs’ residence near Akashvani in Mumbai’s Colaba region.
Mushrif commented on the matter and confirmed that he was safe. Meanwhile, he also appealed to the police to release all the detained persons in the case. “The government understands these people’s aggression. Don’t punish them. Maratha people are our people and we will support them until they are given reservation. Burning homes of NCP MLAs is highly condemned though. This shouldn’t happen,” the Minister said.
On the other hand Union Minister Narayan Rane’s effigy was burned in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly known as the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. As exclusively reported by Republic TV, the protesters raised slogans of ‘Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha’. They could also be seen demanding Kunbi caste certificates for all Maratha community people by default to seek the benefits of the reservations available for the Other Backward class (OBC) people.
As reported earlier, the contentious issue of Maratha reservations has once again taken the central stage in Maharashtra politics as Lok Sabha and Assembly elections draw near. On 31st October, CM Eknath Shinde met Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil and assured him that a concrete decision would be taken in the cabinet meeting regarding the Maratha reservations. He said that the matter regarding giving Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community will also be discussed. CM Shinde meanwhile also stated that the government has filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court.
Following a fruitful conversation with Chief Minister Shinde, Manoj Jarange Patil, who was on a hunger strike until his death to demand reservations for the Maratha community, ended the fast and consumed water. “The government has filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court for Maratha reservation. Therefore, I am hopeful that the Maratha community will get the reservation soon,” Patil said.
The violent protesters last week set ablaze the residential properties of 2 NCP MLAs Prakash Solanke (Ajit Pawar faction) and Sandeep Kshirsagar (Sharad Pawar faction) in Beed. Offices of former NCP MLA and minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar were also set on fire. Also, similar violence was reported in Jalna and Pune districts.
As elections draw closer, the reservation issue in the state seems to have fanned up. State leaders and opposition are racing to see Manoj Jarange Patil in person even though there is a high-level investigation underway to determine who is at fault for the recent wave of aggressiveness that resulted in violence in the Beed and Jalna districts. A detailed account of the ongoing Maratha reservation stir can be read here.