Mumbai: The Maratha reservation stir entered its sixth day on Monday. By now, the agitation has fanned out to various cities in Marathwada and western Maharashtra. The Marathas activists have called a mega morcha in Kolhapur on August 9 against the government.
Meanwhile, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had recused himself from visiting the famous temple town of Pandharpur on Sunday, performed his annual puja of Lord Vitthal at his official residence in Mumbai along with his mother and wife Amruta and posted pictures on Twitter.
On Monday, the Maratha Kranti Morcha members held a protest in almost all districts of the state. Protesters tried to disrupt the speech of CM Fadnavis in Pimpri, Pune. When he rose to speak, a woman volunteer began sloganeering against the government and had to be escorted out of the hall.
There were ‘raasta roko’ agitations in Hingloli, Nanded, Parali, Beed, Osmanabad, Latur, Aurangabad and Sangali districts of Marathawada and western Maharashtra. The Maratha Kranti Morcha activists have also planned marches to various tehsil offices in the state. The organisation has also declared that it won’t hold any protest in Solapur district as nearly 10 lakh pilgrims have reached Pandharpur.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha organisers declared their next mega agitation, which will be held in Kolhapur on August 9. They are expected to gather 3 lakh members of the community on that day, said the press release.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders slammed the state government for increasing tension and spreading the agitation in state. “The Maratha community peacefully held almost 60 mammoth marches in state. The discipline of those marches was appreciated by the entire nation. For the chief minister to call them criminal and anti-social elements is outrageous,” said Congress leader Ashok Chavan.
Maratha leaders too have slammed the CM for calling protesters names. “Warkari and kids of Marathas who are demanding reservations are the same. To accuse them of creating law and order problem during Wari is humiliating Warkaris and Marathas.
“Hence, the Chief Minister, who has accused them as per intelligence reports indicating law and order problem, should apologise to the Maratha Kranti Morcha. Marathas have never created issues for Warkari or Wari,” said Pravin Gaikwad, state co-ordinator for Maratha Kranti Morcha and state chief of Sambhaji Brigade on Monday in Pune.
