Maratha quota dispute: Three cases have been registered in Beed district for protesting without permission.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Internet services were suspended in Maharashtra’s Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Beed districts to maintain law and order in the wake of the Maratha quota agitation led by activist Manoj Jarange, officials said on Monday.
He said that as a precaution, the borders of these districts have also been sealed.
Internet services have been suspended from 6 am to 4 pm in the three districts to avoid any untoward incident due to rumors on social media platforms, an official said citing an order of the state home department.
Another official said three cases have been registered in Beed district for agitating without permission and two people have been arrested for damaging a state transport bus.
Earlier, curfew was imposed in Ambad taluka of Jalna district from Monday midnight to prevent any law and order problem in view of the ongoing Jarange agitation.
There is a possibility that Kota supporters may reach Antarwali Sarti village in Ambad taluka of Jalna, where Jarange is on a hunger strike to stop them (from going to Mumbai).
Jalna Collector’s order states that due to heavy crowd, traffic is likely to be affected on Dhule-Mumbai Highway and tehsils near Ambad.
This may affect peace and create law and order problems. Therefore, curfew has been imposed by the District Collector in Ambad taluka under Section 144 (2) of CrPC from Monday midnight till further orders.
The Maharashtra Legislature, during a one-day special session last Tuesday, unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category.
But Jarange is adamant on his demand to turn the notification into law on quota for the community under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category and ‘blood relatives’ of Kunbi Marathas.
On Sunday, Jarange said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should not listen to Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and should explain why the notification is not being implemented on ‘blood relatives’ of Kunbi Marathas.
Jarange made this comment when CM Shinde said that the workers should not test the patience of his government.
Speaking at Antarwali Sarti village on Sunday, Jarange alleged that Fadnavis was trying to kill him. The activist also announced that he would march to Mumbai and protest outside the Deputy CM’s residence.
Jarange also claimed that an attempt was made against him to administer poison through saline, although he did not elaborate.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
