Maratha groups call for Maharashtra bandh today, exclude Navi Mumbai

MUMBAI: Sakal Maratha Samaj, an umbrella body of Maratha groups, on Wednesday said a ‘bandh’ would be observed across Maharashtra, except Navi Mumbai, on Thursday to press for the community’s demand for reservation.

A leader of the organisation said the protest would be held in a peaceful manner from 8 am to 6 pm.

“It will be a state-wide bandh, excluding Navi Mumbai. All the essential services, schools and colleges have been excluded from the bandh,” Amol Jadhavrao, a leader of Sakal Maratha Samaj told reporters.

“Due to some sensitive issues, we have decided not to observe bandh in Navi Mumbai,” he said.

Parts of Maharashtra, especially Koparkhairane and Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, had witnessed violence during the Maratha quota stir late last month.

Around 20 policemen, including eight officers, were injured in stone-pelting by protesters at Kopar Khairane and Kalamboli. A protester, injured in the violence in Navi Mumbai, had succumbed to his injuries.

Jadhavrao said, “It will be a peaceful protest from 8 am to 6 pm. I appeal to my fellow Maratha youths to desist from committing suicides. It is not going to help the community and its cause.”

A number of people from the community had earlier committed suicide in support of the quota demand.

“We are also making an appeal to Maratha youths to stay away from violence. We will not indulge in any aggressive protest and there will be no damage to public properties,” he assured.

Jadhavrao alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was talking to only a handful of Marathas and trying to create confusion within the community.

“Fadnavis is trying to dilute the intensity of the agitation,” he said.

Commenting on different views expressed by separate Maratha groups in the last few days, he said, “The confusion was created after the agitators in Parli (in Beed district) suddenly decided to withdraw their agitation.”

“But meetings were held in Aurangabad and Mumbai, where rest of the Maratha groups expressed their willingness to go ahead with the bandh. Hence, tomorrow we are going to observe bandh,” Jadhavrao said.