Maratha quota agitators in Mumbai made headlines today when they vandalized the SUV belonging to Maharashtra cabinet minister Hasan Mushrif. The incident occurred in the early morning hours in south Mumbai, with three individuals subsequently being detained by the Marine Drive police, according to media reports.
Hasan Mushrif, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, had his parked SUV targeted by two Maratha quota activists armed with wooden sticks around 7:30 am. The assailants damaged the vehicle's window panes while chanting "Ek Maratha, lakh Maratha."
Upon receiving the report, the police swiftly arrived at the scene and took the three individuals into custody. It was revealed during the inquiry that they hailed from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. The damaged SUV was subsequently transported to the Marine Drive police station for further investigation.
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This incident is not an isolated one, as tensions surrounding the Maratha quota issue have flared up in recent days. Just a few days earlier, two cars owned by lawyer Gunaratna Sadavarte, a vocal opponent of Maratha reservation, were also vandalized in the Parel area of Mumbai. In that case, three men were arrested for their involvement in the damage.
Beed district has seen a change in its administrative measures as curfew restrictions, initially imposed after the Maratha quota agitation's violence on Monday, have been lifted in certain areas. However, prohibitory orders are still in effect to maintain law and order. Additionally, internet services remain suspended in the district.
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Notably, the curfew remains in place in Dharashiv district, and the decision to revoke it will be determined after an administrative review.
Beed police have been actively responding to the violence, registering over 30 offenses and apprehending 99 individuals associated with the incidents. As of Wednesday morning, the curfew has been revoked in Beed district, although prohibitory orders continue.
Internet services in Beed remain offline, and the situation in Dharashiv district is subject to review by the administration for any potential curfew relaxation.
In a parallel development, prohibitory orders were imposed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Tuesday by Collector Aastik Kumar Pandey to maintain law and order. Nanded Collector Abhijeet Raut also took steps to ensure the smooth flow of transportation by imposing prohibitory orders on national highways and other roads.
Furthermore, Maharashtra's Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Sanjay Saxena, visited Beed district on Tuesday to assess the situation following the Maratha quota agitation. The situation is currently under control, and ADG Saxena will be providing a report to the government after reviewing the conditions.
The Maratha quota agitation resulted in violence on Monday, leading to incidents such as the setting of fire and the hurling of stones at the residence of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke in Majalgaon town, Beed.
The situation has prompted Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to convene an all-party meeting to address the escalating Maratha quota agitation, which has led to outbreaks of violence across the state. Interestingly, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has not been included in the list of invitees for this meeting.
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An official from the Chief Minister's Office confirmed that the meeting's purpose is to provide Chief Minister Shinde with an opportunity to outline the government's strategies for managing the situation and to seek support from opposition leaders.
In response to the recent incidents and the ongoing tensions, the Mumbai police have heightened security measures for cabinet ministers, political leaders, political party offices, and key locations in the metropolis. The situation remains fluid, and all parties involved are seeking a resolution to the ongoing Maratha quota dispute.
