The Maratha community’s persistent protest for reservation turned violent on Monday as demonstrators took to targeting the homes and offices of several legislators in the Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar districts. This surge of unrest and destruction has followed weeks of agitation and a hunger strike led by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, demanding broader reservation benefits for the Maratha community by categorizing them as Kunbi, a sub-caste, to qualify for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.
Escalation of Protests
Monday’s violent turn saw the resignation of two Members of Parliament from the ruling Shiv Sena party, Hemant Patil and Hemant Godse, in response to the ongoing turmoil. Additionally, one legislator each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress offered their resignations. The demonstrations included the arson of bungalows belonging to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs Prakash Solanke (Ajit Pawar faction) and Sandeep Kshirsagar (Pawar faction) in Beed district. The office of former NCP MLA and minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar was also set ablaze.
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar witnessed protests where stones were hurled at BJP legislator Prashant Bamb’s office in Gangakhed. Demonstrators also targeted district council and municipal council offices in Majalgaon and another government office in Ashti tehsil, Beed district. The protests disrupted public transport as tires were set on fire, blocking the Solapur-Akkalkot state highway.
Government Response and Appeals
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde convened a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on reservation and appealed to Manoj Jarange-Patil and the protesters to cease the violence. He announced measures such as issuing Kunbi caste certificates to the descendants of those historically classified as Kunbi during the pre-independence Nizam era. This step would enable them to claim the quota reserved for the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
Shinde expressed concern over the violent turn of the protests, including instances of self-harm, and its adverse impact on the community’s image. He urged Jarange-Patil to prioritize his health by seeking medical treatment and check-ups. He also requested the activist to grant the government additional time to implement these measures.
Activist’s Rejection
Manoj Jarange-Patil rebuffed Shinde’s announcement, insisting that all Marathas should be granted the OBC quota benefits without the need for documents from the Nizam era. He asserted that if one brother obtains the reservation through a Kunbi certificate, others should receive similar treatment.
Jarange-Patil addressed the community, urging them to end the violence, as it tarnished the reputation of the agitation. He vowed to announce the next course of action in the coming days and expressed suspicions that ruling party politicians may be involved in orchestrating violent incidents to pressure him to call off the agitation.
As the Maratha protest continues to escalate, the region remains on edge, with concerns about the evolving political and social consequences of the unrest.
Sources By Agencies