Mumbai: Nandurbar clamped down in protest on Monday, following the attack on Member of Parliament Heena Gavit in her home constituency. During the Maratha reservation protests, Gavit’s car was attacked outside the office of the Dhule collector, after which the Navapur and Nandurbar talukas were shut down. Gavit escaped without injury but was shaken. The attackers had climbed on the bonnet and shattered the windshield while Gavit was in the car. This news spread like wildfire in tribal areas.
On Monday, Gavit had demanded the attackers be slapped with sections of the Prevention of Atrocities Act. Police enforced heavy bandobast on Monday to ensure no untoward incident took place. The Nagpur-Surat highway too was closed from Sunday midnight. The bandh was strictly enforced and some schools declared a holiday. Curfew was enforced and assembly of crowds was banned by the police.
The Marathas have already stepped up their agitation for reservation. Reports of suicides also have been appearing from different parts of the state, with the Marathas targeting elected representatives. Gavit is one of the targets.
3 held for attack, SC/ST Act invoked
Three persons have been arrested in connection with Sunday’s attack on the vehicle of BJP MP Heena Gavit outside the district collectorate in Dhule district. Gavit, who represents tribal-dominated Nandurbar Lok Sabha constituency, had escaped unhurt in the attack, allegedly by Maratha protesters. She was sitting in the car when the protesters broke its windshield. A senior police official said that around 25 people had been charged under section 307 (attempt to murder), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 341 (wrongful restraint) and other relevant provisions of IPC in connection with the incident. Provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been invoked, the official said.