Maratha quota protest Updates: All parties stand with state government on providing reservation

Maharashtra Police has registered 141 cases in connection with the violence during the Maratha quota agitations and arrested 168 persons, state Director General of Police Rajnish Seth said on Wednesday.

He said public properties worth ₹12 crore were damaged by miscreants across the state.

"Notices have been served to 146 accused persons under section 41 in the CrPC," Seth told media persons at the state police headquarters in south Mumbai.

Activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to make it clear whether it is ready to provide reservation to the entire Maratha community and why it needs more time in granting quota to it. Jarange, who has been on an indefinite fast at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district to press for the Maratha quota demand, asked the state government how much time does it need to fulfil the demand.

LoP in Maharashtra Legislative Council and Shiv Sena MLC Ambadas Danve told ANI, “We have not handed over any letter...This is technical, a few MLAs have demanded this (special session of Assembly) and the Speaker will make a decision on this...”

Both mobile and broadband Internet services would be suspended for 48 hours in most parts of central Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district from Wednesday evening to stop the spread of rumours amid the ongoing Maratha quota agitation, an official said here, reported PTI.

On incidents of violence in the state over Maratha reservation, Maharashtra LoP and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar says, "...Such a situation has never occurred before. Agitations had happened earlier but they all happened peacefully. Who is responsible for this deteriorating situation?...If the law and order situation is affected, this government has no right to stay on its post - be it the CM or Deputy CM...I don't want to divert attention by demanding someone's resignation. Today, the Government has majority and they should think about it seriously. If they fail to control the situation, we will definitely demand their resignation."

Members of the Maratha community on Tuesday evening took out a candlelight march in support of the Maratha quota demand in Latur city of central Maharashtra.

The march started at Ganj Golai and concluded at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue. The agitation in support of quota for the Marathas continued in the district with road blockades staged at many places, police said.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said the all-party meeting held earlier in the day decided that reservation should be given to the Maratha community without tampering with the existing quotas of other communities in the state. Speaking to reporters here, Shinde also appealed activist Manoj Jarange, who is on hunger strike for Maratha reservation since October 25, to call off his fast and give the government some time.

Responding to the resolution passed in all party meeting, Manoj Jarange Patil said, "We will decide whether to give more time to government by speaking to the people from the community. The government should assure us if the reservation would be given the way we are demanding if more time was given. The agitation will continue until we get the reservation. We are ready to have dialogue with the government, but they should come up with a firm solution

Leaders from all the political parties in the state extended their support to the state government endorsing the steps being taken for the Maratha reservation by it and also passed a resolution to appeal Manoj Jarange-Patil to call off his indefinite hunger strike.

Amid the aggressive protest that took a violent turn in the last few days, chief minister Eknath Shinde convened an all-party meeting at Sahyadri guest house in Mumbai on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena-UBT leaders Ambadas Danve, Anil Parab, NCP Ajit Pawar faction’s Sunil Tatkare and leaders from smaller parties including Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Peasants and Workers Party, Janata Dal (U) among others.

All the party leaders endorsed the state government's stand of Maratha reservation without disturbing the Other Backward Classes quota. The leaders also backed the government into action against the miscreants involved in the violent incidents that took place over last three days in the guise of agitation. They were on the same page when it came to steps to maintain the law and order situation in the state.

Maratha quota supporters observing an indefinite fast in Maharashtra's Thane city asked NCP leader Jitendra Awhad to step down from the stage where they were carrying out the protest when he went to meet them.

The pro-quota activists, who have been staging the protest in front of the district collectorate since October 28, said they do want their agitation to be taken over by political leaders.

Maharashtra minister Uday Samant told ANI, "Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting of all Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) MPs and MLAs. We are all confident, Eknath Shinde will take a proper decision on the Maratha reservation...I request Manoj Jarange Patil that if somebody is playing politics behind their protest, then it must be stopped...nobody is saying their demands are wrong. Govt is with them

The Pune police have registered offences against nearly 500 activists of outfits supporting Maratha reservation for allegedly blocking a stretch of the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway and setting tyres ablaze, officials said on Wednesday.

Protesters blocked the highway stretch near Navale bridge in Maharashtra's Pune city between 12.15 pm and 2.45 pm on Tuesday and burnt tyres to press for their demand for reservation to Marathas, police said.

Leaders at an all-party meeting on Maratha quota chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday passed a resolution asking activist Manoj Jarange to call off his indefinite fast, PTI reported.

The Maharashtra government is in favour of the Maratha quota, CM Shinde said after the meeting in Mumbai.

Activist Jarange should cooperate with the government in ensuring quota for the Maratha community he said.

The CM said Marathas should observe restraint.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde says,"...In the all-party meeting, everyone agreed that the Maratha community should get reservation...It was decided the reservation should be within the framework of the law and without doing injustice to other communities."

All-party meeting on Maratha quota passes resolution asking activist Manoj Jarange to call off his indefinite fast, reports PTI.

In all-party meeting called by Maharashtra government, all political parties stand with the state government on providing Maratha reservation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on the ruling Shiv Sena and said that the law and order in Maharashtra is deteriorating amid the ongoing Maratha reservation row.

"Look at the situation in Maharashtra, you are seeing that people of Maratha community have taken to the streets, the MLA and the minister are being stopped. Villages are being entered and their houses are being burnt. Law and order have completely broken down", he said while addressing a Press Conference.

Raut said that there should be no politics on the issue of Maratha reservation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut has written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking time to meet her and demand a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue of reservation for Maratha and Dhangar communities.

The letter, dated October 31, states that an 11-member delegation led by Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut wants to meet the president on November 5 or 6.

Marathas are demanding reservation in government jobs and education under the OBC category, while the Dhangar (shepherd) community wants the ST (Scheduled Tribe) status.

Police have beefed up the security at the residence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur in view of the ongoing agitation in parts of the state over the Maratha reservation demand, an official said on Wednesday.

Nagpur Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar on Tuesday evening conducted a review of the security arrangements at Fadnavis' residence at Trikoni Park in Dharampeth area here.

He ordered that the security be stepped up in view of the Maratha quota agitation, the official said.

Nagpur is the hometown of BJP leader Fadnavis.

State-run bus services have been completely suspended in five Marathwada districts while curfew and Internet shut-down were imposed in parts of Beed on Monday where the houses of political leaders were targeted by protesters.

The CM has appealed to people not to resort to violence and also asked political parties to avoid indulging in any activities that would worsen the situation.

A group of legislators from various parties staged a protest near the Maharashtra secretariat 'Mantralaya' here on Wednesday in support of the demand for reservation to the Marathas, reported PTI.

The protesting legislators, from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP group, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress, sat on stairs of the secretariat building and displayed placards with messages supporting the reservation for Marathas.

The Beed administration on Wednesday morning lifted curfew imposed in parts of the district after violence during the Maratha quota agitation on Monday, officials said.

Prohibition orders will continue in the district, located in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, and Internet services are still shut to maintain law and order, they said.