A day after arson in parts of Maharashtra, Maratha quota agitators took to streets in Pune on Tuesday. Several agitators blocked the crucial Pune-Bengaluru Expressway. They were seen burning tyres and blocking the roads. This affected the vehicular movement on the expressway. After some hours, the traffic was partially restored near Navale bridge in Pune, news agency ANI said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation has decided to cancel buses to Shirdi, Mumbai and Pune from Bengaluru due to the ongoing protests. In view of the ongoing str, the security has been increased outside the houses and offices of politicians of Maratha community in Pune.
The Maratha reservation protest has escalated into violence in various locations across the state, where demonstrators have vandalised the residences of politicians belonging to the ruling parties in different regions. In response to extensive violence and arson, a curfew has been enforced in Dharashiv district and specific areas of Beed district.
Meanwhile, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has been maintaining his indefinite fast in solidarity with the reservation demand at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district since October 25.
In a related update, the Maharashtra government, on Tuesday, approved the initial report from a committee led by retired high court judge Sandeep Shinde. This committee was tasked with determining the process for granting Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha population in the Marathwada region.
According to an official statement, the procedure for issuing Kunbi certificates has been initiated, and it’s worth noting that the Kunbi community is eligible for reservation in the OBC category.
This decision coincides with activist Manoj Jarange’s ongoing hunger strike to advocate for Maratha community reservations and the instances of violence related to this demand in certain areas of the state.
