Agitation for Maratha quota put on hold, outfits apologise for violence

AURANGABAD/PUNE: Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) leaders from Marathwada, except those in Aurangabad, have suspended their agitation over reservations till November-end. They have cited reasons such as the state government’s move to put off the mega recruitment plan and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s appeal for time till November to move positively on the issue.
On Friday, MKM and Sakal Maratha Samaj dissociated themselves from those involved in vandalism at the Pune collectorate on Thursday and apologised for the inconvenience caused to media persons, police and citizens.

Though the coordinators from various districts are singing different tunes, Latur coordinator Uday Gavare specifically said on Friday that they have withdrawn the agitation. The next move would be decided at another state-level meeting of the coordinators soon, he added.

Jawale said: “We have withdrawn the agitation for 10 days from now in Marathwada, except Aurangabad. The bandh was total and peaceful at all these places. We strongly feel that violence should not take place and people should not be inconvenienced.”

The Aurangabad agitators, however, said they would continue with their sit-in agitation. Abhijit Deshmukh, an NCP leader and prominent MKM functionary in Aurangabad, said the sit-in agitation at Kranti Chowk will continue peacefully. “We will also go ahead with the ‘chul-bandh’ andolan (no-cooking agitation) on August 15,” he said.

MKM and Sakal Maratha Samaj coordinators from Pune have appealed to people not to spread any messages on social media that will show the outfits in poor light.

“We do not know who resorted to violence at the Pune collectorate. Our agitation started in the morning and continued for two hours. It ended after a memorandum of demands was submitted to the district collector,” a team of coordinators, including Rajendra Kondhre, Shantaram Kunjir and Pravin Gaikwad, said on Friday.

The organisers said their agitation was only at collector’s office and they are now planning a chain hunger strike to press for reservations. “The agitation will be held peacefully. A code of conduct will be announced for the agitators who want to participate in this strike,” Kondhre said.

Maratha leaders opposed to the August 9 bandh said the suspension would offer an opportunity to end the stir. These leaders, including Abasaheb Patil from Parli, felt the situation would not have gone out of hand if the agitation had been called off on August 7.

Patil alleged that some politically-ambitious people were helming the agitation with an intention to pursue their goals.

“The stir has infused political ambitions among many at the local level as they feel that the established leadership has failed to address their issues,” he said.

Call for CID probe into violence MKM leaders have denied that their activists were involved in the attack on industries in Waluj and other violence in Pune during Thursday’s Maharashtra bandh. MKM functionary Vinod Patil demanded a CID inquiry into the violence.