Sena MP is heckled at youth’s funeral

The state-wide shutdown called by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, following the suicide of a young activist on Monday, kept Maharashtra on an edge on Tuesday.

In fact, another protestor, 31-year-old Jagannath Sonawane from Aurangabad, sought to emulate Kakasaheb Shinde’s example by jumping onto a dry river bed. He has been hospitalised. The anger over the suicide on Monday is still to subside. Shiv Sena's Member of Parliament Chandrakant Khaire was manhandled when he went

to attend the youth’s funeral at Kaygaon in Gangapur tehsil. In another unfortunate occurrence, a police constable -- Shyam Laxman Padgaonkar -- deployed to oversee the security at Shinde's funeral, died after suffering a cardiac arrest. He hailed from Osmanabad.

The Marathwada region simmered with tension while an ominous atmosphere has enveloped Aurangabad district – the nerve centre of the ‘bandh.’

In the morning, a massive crowd gathered for Shinde’s funeral in Gangapur tehsil, as schools and colleges across the region remained shut. Amid impassioned scenes, irate crowd raised slogans against the Devendra Fadnavis government. Four-time Shiv Sena MP from Aurangabad, Khaire, and Congress legislator Subhash Zambad were heckled and booed by the protestors at the funeral.

The wrath of the demonstrators was unleashed on Khaire, who was forced to beat a hasty retreat.

Rattled by the intensity of the protest, the State government has announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for Shinde’s kin. However, coordinators of the Maratha Kranti Morcha do not feel reassured and have demanded Chief Minister’s resignation in connection with the youth’s suicide. Morcha convenor Ravindra Kale has demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation and a government job for Kakasaheb’s brother Ashoke Shinde. Santosh Shinde of the Sambhaji Brigade – a prominent Maratha outfit – has demanded that a case under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 306 (abetment of suicide) be lodged against the Chief Minister Fadnavis as he was allegedly responsible for Shinde’s death.

Protests, sit-ins, road blocks and stray incidents of violence rocked the region, sending traffic and civic life for a toss.

A total shutdown was observed in Beed, Nanded and Osmanabad districts, with government as well as private establishment downing shutters. The Maratha reservation agitation has constrained MNS chief Raj Thackeray to cut short his tour of Marathwada.

Meanwhile, Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil, speaking in Sangli, alleged that certain elements within the agitation were trying to give the State government a bad name

“Our government is ready for discussions. But the issue of reservation is before the Bombay High Court. What is the point of agitating for something which is not in the State government’s control?” Patil said.