Homes of 2 MLAs, former minister set on fire as Maratha quota protests intensify

Agitation for the Maratha reservation intensified on Monday as protesters vandalised the houses of politicians and public places in Beed.

The homes of two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs and a former minister were set on fire as the opposition party Shiv Sena (UBT) demanded convening a special session of Parliament to discuss demands for the Maratha reservation.

The protesters set on fire the home of MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar, a member of Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, in Beed district. Vehicles parked at his house were also set ablaze.

Earlier in the day, another NCP MLA Prakash Solanke in Beed district was also vandalised and set on fire by agitators. Solanke belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction.

Former minister Jaydattaji Kshirsagar’s office was also set ablaze in Beed. He is a member of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

An NCP office, operated by the Sharad Pawar-led faction was also torched earlier today. The agitators also expressed their anger by defacing posters of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Vadgaon Nimbalkar village.

Maratha community members have been staging protests in different parts of Maharashtra seeking reservations in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

The agitation intensified after Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil launched an indefinite fast from October 25 in Jalna district. The activist was on a hunger strike from August 29 to September 14 and called off his agitation after the state government assured to look into his quota demand.

Amid violence, BJP MLA Laxman Madhavrao Pawar and NCP District President Rajeshwar Chavan resigned today in Beed.