Pro-quota supporters vandalise offices, public transport vehicles across state

A group of people set ablaze a panchayat samiti office in Jalna district during the ongoing agitation over the demand for reservation to the Maratha community police said on Tuesday Some quota supporters chanting ldquoEk Maratha Lakh Marathardquo reached the panchayat samiti office at Ghansawangi in the district on Tuesday vandalised the premises and set it on fire they saidPolice rushed to the spot quickly and doused the flames but some important documents and furniture in two rooms of the office were damaged an official from Ghansawangi police station saidMSRTC bus ops suspendedServices of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC buses have been stopped completely in five districts of Marathwada mdashParbhani Dharashiv Latur Jalna and Nandedmdashfor the last threefour days while they have been hit to some extent in Beed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Solapur districts said an official of the stateowned corporationAs many as 36 of the 250 bus depots of MSRTC in Maharashtra were shut on account of the agitation as of Monday evening he saidMaratha community people shave their heads in support of Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil in Mumbai More than 85 MSRTC buses were damagedmdashthe highest 70 in Beed districtmdash and four buses were torched by agitators over the last four days the official added The MSRTC has sustained a loss of Rs 4 crore so far due to damage to its buses and attacks on other properties the official saidTyres burnt on highwayProMaratha quota protesters on Tuesday blocked the MumbaiBengaluru Highway in Pune and burnt tyres to press for the demand for reservation police said ldquoA group of protesters blocked the road at Navale bridge on the MumbaiBengaluru Highway this afternoon shouted slogans and set seven to eight tyres on firerdquo an official from Sinhgad Road police station saidThe movement of vehicles was initially stopped in both lanes and was partially restored later he said The police meanwhile have beefed up security outside the houses and offices of politicians belonging to the Maratha community in PuneAlso read Mumbai Hidden pollution monsters wonrsquot get away anymoreldquoWe have increased security outside the houses and offices of political leaders belonging to the Maratha communityrdquo Deputy Commissioner of Police Special Branch Raja Ramaswami said49 people arrested in BeedPolice have arrested 49 people in connection with the violence in Maharashtrarsquos Beed district during the ongoing agitation for Maratha reservation an official said on TuesdayA curfew was imposed in parts of Beed district on Monday evening after a series of incidents of violence and arson targeting properties of politicians The situation is currently under control Beed Superintendent of Police Nandkumar Thakur saidFadnavis condemns violenceMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said authorities have identified 50 to 55 people who were involved in violent activities in various parts of the state during the ongoing Maratha quota agitation and asserted culprits will face strict actionFadnavis who also holds the home portfolio condemned violence and arson by quota protesters who targeted homes or offices of three MLAs besides some local political leaders and torched a municipal council building during the stir in Beed and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts on MondaySpeaking to reporters here he said agitators who tried to burn down a house in Beed district with family members inside will face attempt to murder charges The government has taken serious note of these incidents and the miscreants will face strict action he saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever