As the protests intensified amid demands for Maratha reservation in the government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category took a violent turn on Monday, the situation continued to remain tense on Wednesday.

Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses suspended their services completely in five districts of Marathwada, including Parbhani, Dharashiv, Latur, Jalna, and Nanded, amid the violence. Additional disruptions have been reported in Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Solapur districts, with 36 of the 250 bus depots in Maharashtra shutting down due to the agitation as of Tuesday evening.

Security was also beefed up outside the residences of state ministers and other politicians. This comes after the angry protestors torched the houses of three MLAs on Monday. Precautionary measures have also been taken in Beed and Jalna districts to contain the violence.

Also Read: Maratha quota violence: Section 144 imposed in Beed, Dharashiv, KKRTC suspends bus services

Here are the top developments in the Maratha quota agitation

  • The Maharashtra government has taken steps to address the Maratha community’s concerns by issuing fresh Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members, thus enabling them to access reservation benefits within the OBC category.
  • Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the government’s plans and seek support from opposition leaders.
  • Security has been tightened around the residences of Chief Minister Shinde and other ministers after protestors set fire to the houses of three MLAs. Similar precautionary measures have been implemented in Beed and Jalna districts to prevent further violence.

“There is heavy deployment of police outside the offices of political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, the Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party in south Mumbai,” an official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Also Read: ‘I was inside,’ says NCP MLA Prakash Solanke after Martha agitators set his home on fire in Beed

  • Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who is on an indefinite hunger strike in support of the Maratha quota, demanded a comprehensive reservation solution. He said that the Maratha community will not accept an ‘incomplete reservation.’ He has threatened to stop drinking water from this evening if the government did not take a decision on the matter.
  • A curfew and internet shutdown was enforced in Jalna district on Tuesday, following a similar measure in Beed district, after incidents of violence and arson, to stop the spread of rumours related to violence.
  • The Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) denied on Tuesday that it had given a call for the Pune Bandh. Rather, they have urged the community to hold peaceful demonstrations rather than resorting to extreme measures. Meanwhile, agitations on roads and highways have been banned in the Nanded district, with the collector prohibiting “rasta roko” (block the roads agitation) and rallies on national and state highways.
  • The Maharashtra Cabinet has recommended the state Backward Commission to collect data and conduct a survey, aiming to make their curative petition filed in the Supreme Court error-free and ensure the grant of reservation to the Maratha community.
  • After Shiv Sena MPs Hemant Patil from Hingoli and Hemant Godse from Nashik resigned, more political leaders have signed resignations in support of the Maratha reservation. These include MLA Ramesh Bornare, Congress MLA Ramesh Varpiudkar, and BJP MLA Laxman Pawar. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday demanded that the Maratha and Dhangar communities should also get reservations.

Also Read: Traffic near Pune-Bengaluru Highway affected as Maratha quota agitators take to streets, burn tyres

What is the Maratha quota stir about?

The Maratha quota agitation has gained momentum with protests demanding reservations in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Caste (OBC) category.

The agitation intensified after activist Manoj Jarange began his second phase of an indefinite hunger strike on October 25. Jarange was on a hunger strike from August 29 to September 14 and called off the protest after the government assured to look into the demand for quota. The community gave the government 40 days to announce the reservation, which ended on October 24.

On Wednesday, Jarange said that the Maratha community will not accept an “incomplete reservation” and that the state government should call a special session of the state legislature on the issue. He also threatened to stop drinking water from this evening if the decision was not taken on the matter.

Earlier, he said he would drink water for two more days but would go back to a full hunger strike if the government did not give a reservation to Maratha OBC by providing them with Kunbi caste certificates.

(With ANI Inputs)