Mumbai: Legislators across party lines stage protest to support Maratha quota demand

Representational Picture/iStock

Legislators from various parties staged a protest near the Maharashtra secretariat 'Mantralaya' in Mumbai on Wednesday in support of the demand for reservation to the Maratha community.

Some of the lawmakers tried to lock the gate of Mantralaya saying they will not allow the administration to function until the Maratha community is granted reservation, police said.

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, PTI reported. They also demanded a special session of the state legislature over the Maratha quota issue.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has called an all-party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation in the state amid the intensified Maratha quota agitation which took a violent turn in some parts of the state.

Incidents of violence were witnessed in many parts of the state in the last few days.

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

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.

The Maharashtra government published an order on Tuesday asking officials concerned to issue fresh Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Maratha community members, paving the way for them to avail reservation benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Also read: Maratha quota protests: Maharashtra ADG Sanjay Saxena assesses situation in Beed

A government resolution (GR) asked the officials to translate old documents having references to Kunbis and written in Urdu and 'Modi' script (which was used to write Marathi language in earlier times). These documents are to be digitised, attested and then put in public domain.

Meanwhile, 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.

There is no relaxation in curfew in Dharashiv district as of now, the officials said.

The Beed police have registered more than 30 offences and arrested 99 people so far in connection with the violence, they said.

After violence in Beed on Monday, curfew was enforced in a periphery of 5 kilometres from the collector office, head offices of talukas along with all national highways passing through the district. (With inputs from PTI)