Agitation snowballs with suicide
Man jumps to death in river; 1st suicide recorded in state over quota stir; victim's kin refuse to claim body, seek CM's resignation
The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which has conducted 58 silent marches across the state, has now taken a step towards violence in its goal for reservation. First came the threat to disrupt proceedings at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi Monday if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would perform pooja at the Vitthal temple. The outfit held protests across the state. A woman agitator shouted slogans during the speech of Fadnavis in Chinchwad, a Pune suburb, while a youth, Kakasaheb Dattatrya Shinde, 26, commited suicide by jumping in Godavari river in Aurangabad district.
The agitation by the Maratha community for reservation in government jobs and education took a tragic turn after Shinde's suicide. He was the younger brother of Ashok Shinde, the Gangapur taluka president of Sambhaji Brigade, and worked as driver to Santosh Mane, the Yuva Sena district president. Kakasaheb was a Shiv Sainik and resided at Kaygaon village, Aurangabad.
Shinde's family refused to claim his body and demanded the resignation of Fadnavis. They held a sit-in at the Gangapur police station in Aurangabad district, demanding that a criminal case be filed against the CM over Shinde's death.
Seeking the immediate announcement of reservations for the Maratha community, the protesters also sought a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Shinde's family.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which led Monday's 'jal samadhi', in which Shinde died, is spearheading the agitation seeking reservations for the community. In the last few days, protests have take place in Buldhana, Akola, Parali, Washim and Mumbai.
Shinde's death triggered a fresh set of protests in several parts of Maharashtra, with opposition leaders seeking to put the onus on the BJP-led government in the state. Protesters blocked the Ahmednagar-Aurangabad highway and damaged a dozen vehicles, including a police van and a bus, in Gangakhed tehsil of Parbhani district.
Congress MLA Nitesh Rane blamed the Fadnavis government for the death of the protester, while NCP leader Sunil Tatkare said Shinde's death should help serve as a warning to all concerned to handle the with caution.
BJP's Rajya Sabha member Sambhaji Chhatrapati said, "The issue of Maratha reservations is of utmost importance. The Chief Minister should not ignore it."
"The Fadnavis-led government is engaged in an attempt to paint the protesting Maratha community members as criminals and this attempt is infuriating," Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Ashok Chavan said. stir