Bandh and protest in Navi Mumbai. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Maratha Kranti Morcha, an outfit spearheading agitation for quota for the maratha community in jobs and education, withdrew its Mumbai bandh call on Wednesday after various parts witnessed violence.
Violence marred the Maratha community’s bandh as protesters threw stones at policemen in the neighbouring Navi Mumbai township and Satara district, injuring three personnel. In retaliation, the police cane-charged protesters, fired plastic bullets and lobbed tear gas shells at them, an official said.
Protesters attacked buses, indulged in arson and pelted stones at local trains in several parts of Maharashtra,
including Mumbai and the adjoining Thane city. The Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Goa highways were blocked for
hours by the protesters.
Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty
“We only wanted to prove that we are together and proved it. We never wanted protests to get violent and therefore we are calling off our bandh in Mumbai for today,” Virendra Pawar, leader of the Morcha told reporters in Mumbai.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha had given the call for the bandh, demanding an apology from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for alleging that some members from the community were planning violence at Pandharpur town in Solapur district.
The protesters had threatened to gherao the Chief Minister in Pandharpur and stop him from performing puja on Ashadi Ekadashi. However, Fadnavis stayed away from Pandharpur and instead worshipped the deity at his residence.
Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been a hugely contentious issue. (Express Photo by Pradip Das)
Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been a hugely contentious issue.
State transport buses halted at Swargate bus station in the afternoon due to the agitation by Maratha Kranti Morcha on Wednesday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)
The community leaders had earlier taken out several rallies in various districts to highlight their demands. Two years ago, the Maratha community had taken to streets across Maharashtra holding silent marches and demanding quota in jobs.
With PTI inputs