On Monday evening, a curfew was enforced in parts of Maharashtra’s Beed district due to widespread violence and acts of arson that occurred during the ongoing Maratha reservation protest. According to local authorities, two Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and a former state minister faced the anger of the protesters. Additionally, internet services were also suspended in Beed, a district located in central Maharashtra.
The curfew order was issued by Collector Deepa Mudhol Munde in response to a series of incidents involving violence and arson targeting the properties of politicians in Beed city and the wider district. The unrest stems from ongoing agitations and hunger strikes across different parts of Beed district, all in support of the demand for government jobs and educational institution reservations for Maratha community members. The situation escalated significantly after midnight on October 29 when buses and government vehicles belonging to various officials were set on fire in the district.
On Monday, protesters organized marches to various government offices in the district, resulting in the setting ablaze of some of these buildings and pelting them with stones. This led to substantial damage to both public and private properties. The curfew was enacted within a 5-kilometer radius from the collector’s office, the taluka head offices, and all national highways passing through the district. These incidents of violence coincided with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange continuing his indefinite hunger strike in support of the reservation demand, which entered its sixth day at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district. The Maratha community members have been actively demonstrating in different areas of the state, seeking reservations in government jobs and education under the OBC category.
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