Maratha stir turns violent; police attacked near Pune
MUMBAI/PUNE: Despite assurances by the Bjp-led government to the Maratha community, and a promise of a special session of the state legislature to discuss its demand for 16% reservation in jobs and education, seemingly leaderless and disparate agitations continued across the state on Monday.
Pune and Solapur in Western Maharashtra witnessed violent protests, as young Maratha protesters threw stones at policemen, vandalised public vehicles and blocked highways.
The state also registered its fourth suicide by a protestor — a 28-year-old man from Aurangabad who jumped in front of a moving train late on Sunday night, allegedly over the Marathas’ quota demand. The man, identified as Pramod Jaising Hore-patil, published a post on his Facebook page and shared a message on Whatsapp saying he will end his life in support of the reservation demand, said Natha Jadhav, a senior inspector from the Mukundwadi police station in Aurangabad. This is the third reservation-related suicide in Aurangabad, and the fourth in the state.
Chakan, 40km from Pune city,
saw the most violence after protesters attacked a police station and damaged at least 100 vehicles. Eight policemen sustained injuries when a mob pelted stones at them at the police station.
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