The ongoing hunger agitation by Shivba Sanghatana President Manoj Jarange-Patil over job and education reservations to Maratha community on Monday resulted in a violent backlash on Monday, as his pro-quota activists attacked the houses of three ruling alliance MLAs, vandalised vehicles of three tehsildars and also targeted State transport buses, burnt tyres and pelted stone at different places in Marathwada.
On the sixth day of his agitation when Jarange-Patil collapsed on the stage due to weakness and the Maharashtra Government appointed a committee of three retired judges to advise it on the reservation issue, the pro-reservation activists attacked the bungalows of NCP (Ajit Pawar group) MLAs Prakash Solanke, Sandeep Kshirsagar and the office of BJP MLA Prashant Bhamb in Beed and Aurangabad districts of Marathwada respectively.
Stones were pelted at Solanke’s bungalows, while his vehicles were set on fire. Kshirsagar’s bungalow was set on fire, while the office of Bhamb was vandalised by the pro-quota protesters.
simultaneously, the vehicles of three tehsildars have been damaged in stone throwing incidents indulged in by the protesting pro-reservation activists.
The NCP office was set on fire at Beed, while a portion of Zilla Parishad office was torched, while Shirdi town in Ahmednagar district also observed a shutdown in support of the Maratha quotas.
Owing to several incidents of stone-pelting on the State-run Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses in a few districts, the MSRTC decided to suspend bus services in nine districts of Marathwada.
In stone throwing incidents, six buses were damaged in Osmanabad district, while four buses were targeted in Jalna district.
In a related development, Jarange-Patil - who has gone on hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district in Marathwada — suddenly collapsed due to weakness on the stage but was helped by his aides. After being persuaded by his supporters, he drank some water.
Addressing a gathering at his fasting venue, Jarange-Patil hit out at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for the latter’s failure to take up the reservations issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shirdi during a recent visit. “Why did you not discuss the issue with the Prime Minister. How can we trust you?”
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed concern over the violence that broken out different parts of the state and asked Jarange-Patil Sakal Maratha Samaj that is part of the ongoing agitation not to take any extreme step that would lead to further violence in different parts of Marathwada.
