The Maratha reservation took an ugly turn on Monday, October 30, as agitators vandalised and set the residence of Nationalist Congress Party MLA Prakash Solanke on fire in Beed. Solanke said none of his family members or staff were injured in the incident.
“I was inside my home when it was attacked. Fortunately, none of my family members or staff were injured. We are all safe but there is a huge loss of property due to fire,” Solanke said.
Maharashtra NCP MLA Prakash Solanke, whose residence in Beed has been attacked by Maratha reservation protestors says, "I was inside my home when it was attacked. Fortunately, none of my family members or staff were injured. We are all safe but there is a huge loss of property… https://t.co/WBjTmWvP5r
— ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2023
On the attack, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “Manoj Jarange Patil (Maratha reservation activist) should take note of the fact that this protest is going in the wrong direction.”
Shinde said the Justice Shinde committee has submitted its first report on the Maratha community to the government. The Committee has been given an extension for two months to submit the final report.
Shinde added that the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the curative petition on the issue of Maratha reservation. “It is my sincere appeal to the people to not take any extreme steps. We are committed to giving reservation to Maratha community.” Shinde said.
Members of the Maratha community have been staging protests seeking reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
The agitation intensified after quota activist Manoj Jarange sat on an indefinite fast from October 25 at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district as part of the second phase of the protest. Jarange has announced that fast-unto-death protests will begin in villages across Maharashtra if the state government fails to act on the pending demand of the Maratha community.