Maratha quota stir escalates; buses attacked, trains stopped in Mumbai, Thane

Protesters attacked buses and stopped local trains in Mumbai and the adjoining Thane city today during the bandh called by Maratha outfits over their demand for reservation.

The police in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad and Satara districts were on their toes to prevent any law and order problem during the bandh.

In Aurangabad, a man, Jagannath Sonawane, who had consumed a poisonous substance yesterday during the protest, died today at a local government hospital.

ALSO READ : Maratha quota stir: Mumbai bandh today; Navi Mumbai, Panvel to also be shut

Nine public buses were attacked by agitators in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, a transport official said.

Agitators threw stones on some buses in Mumbai, including Kanjurmarg and Bhandup areas, shattering window panes.

In view of the stone-pelting on buses, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) partially suspended its services in some areas and expects to resume it when the situation improves, an official of the transport body said.

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Maratha quota stir: Mumbai bandh today; Navi Mumbai, Panvel to also be shut

As the Maratha quota stir intensified, agitators clashed with the police and torched vehicles at several places on Tuesday

Mumbaikars on Wednesday braced for a Mumbai bandh after large-scale violence marred a state-wide protest on Tuesday by Maratha outfits demanding reservations for the community in Maharashtra, where a constable died and nine other policemen were injured amid a suicide attempt by three agitators.

As the stir for reservations in jobs and education intensified, the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is spearheading the agitation, is taking its battle to Mumbai where it has called for the shutdown. Another outfit, the Sakal Maratha Samaj, called for a bandh on Wednesday in Navi Mumbai and Panvel as well.

On Tuesday, stone-pelting and arson were reported from several parts of the state, which remained on edge. Agitators clashed with the police and torched vehicles at several places, while internet services were suspended in rural areas of Aurangabad district to prevent any untoward incident. In Jalna, the police fired in the air to scatter protesters.

The impact of Tuesday’s bandh was more visible in Aurangabad and adjoining districts in the central region of the state, a day after the death of a protester.

Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state’s population, has been a hugely contentious issue.

One constable dies

A constable, deployed near the funeral venue of the protester who jumped to death on Monday, died. Police said the cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

“The postmortem report is awaited. Some injury marks were seen on his hands and legs,” a police official said, adding another constable there got injured in stone-pelting.

Protester Kakasaheb Shinde (27) had jumped to death from a bridge over the Godavari in Aurangabad on Monday.

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