According to an official statement, 49 people have been arrested by police in relation to the recent violent outburst in Maharashtra’s Beed district, which is linked to the continuing struggle for Maratha reservation. On Monday night, a curfew was implemented in several parts of Beed district in response to a slew of violent incidents and arson attacks directed on political properties.
According to Nandkumar Thakur, Beed Superintendent of Police, arrests have been made for charges such as rioting and endangering lives. He said that as of right now, everything is said to be under control and that there were no unpleasant events over the night. The district now has more police officers on duty to uphold law and order.
Deepa Mudhol Munde, the Beed Collector, issued an order implementing the curfew, which was imposed within a 5-kilometer radius of the collector office, taluka head offices, and national highways that pass through the district.
The disturbance started when a group of quota agitators attacked the home of NCP (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke in Majalgaon town, Beed district. They threw stones at the home and set it on fire. The protesters were protesting after an audio recording allegedly featuring Solanke went viral. Later, the demonstrators seriously damaged the Majalgaon Municipal Council building by setting fire to its first level.
Additional acts of violence transpired when NCP MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar’s Beed city office and residential premises were set on fire by Maratha reservation campaigners. In the same city, demonstrators stoned and set fire to the home of former state minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar. In a another instance, police had to fire tear gas shells to disperse a crowd of Maratha agitators that had assembled outside the home of Amarsingh Pandit, the leader of the NCP (Ajit Pawar group).
In support of the demand for reservations, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has been on an indefinite hunger strike in the village of Antarwali Sarati in the Jalna district since October 25. These incidences coincided with his strike.
The Maratha community has protested all over the state to get reservations for OBCs in government positions and educational institutions.
