Maratha reservation leaders have called for a shutdown in Mumbai and its adjoining areas on Wednesday.
A day after massive violence in Maharashtra over Maratha reservation, the outfits demanding quota for the community have called for a bandh in Mumbai on Wednesday. Maharashtra remained on edge on Tuesday as the state-wide bandh called by Maratha outfits saw large-scale violence in several parts of the state.
A constable died and nine other policemen were injured amid suicide attempt by three agitators. Stone-pelting and arson were reported from several parts of the state with most affected being rural areas of Aurangabad district where a protester died on Monday.
As the stir for reservation in jobs and education intensified, Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) leaders, who are spearheading the agitation, decided to take the battle to Mumbai. While the MKM has called for a shutdown in Mumbai on Wednesday, another outfit, the Sakal Maratha Samaj, called for a bandh in Navi Mumbai and Panvel.
Here is what we know about planned Mumbai protests:
1. MKM has given the call for bandh in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, on Wednesday
2. Educational institutions and essential services have been exempted from the bandh, MKM leaders said.
3. Initially, MKM leaders had set August 9 as the day of the state-wide bandh, however, outrage over the suicide of Kakasaheb Shinde gave rise to the spontaneous agitation on Tuesday. The 28-year-old jumped to his death into Godavari river.
4. Mumbai police has assured preparedness for Wednesday’s bandh. “We have deployed adequate bandobast and will ensure that public do not face any inconvenience,” said Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Mumbai).
5. NCP chief Sharad Pawar called on the agitators, who have called for a bandh in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar and Raigad, to protest peacefully, desist from damaging public property and preventing any effect on the common people to ensure public sympathy for their demand continued.
6. Quotas for Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30% of the state's population, has been a hugely contentious issue.
7. The community leaders had earlier taken out 58 peaceful rallies across the state to highlight their demands.
8. State government failed to strike a truce with the Maratha reservation activists as the MKM declined to wind up their agitation on Tuesday. MKM coordinator Vinod Patil called upon the Devendra Fadnavis government to release a timetable giving exact days and dates for providing 16% quota in jobs and education for the Maratha community.
9. The second phase of the Maratha agitation, however, was not as peaceful as it took a violent turn on Tuesday. Maharashtra bandh witnessed incidences of stone-pelting, vandalism and heckling of political leaders.
10. A constable deployed near the funeral venue of the protester in Aurangabad who jumped to death on Monday, died. Police said the cause of death is yet to be ascertained. Protester Kakasaheb Shinde (27) had jumped to death from a bridge over the Godavari in Aurangabad on Monday.
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 "Mumbai Bandh Photo Hemant Padalkar")
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