Maratha activists show black flags to ruling NCP leaders over quota issue; detained

Latur: Police detained some members of the Maratha community for showing black flags to the leaders of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra's Latur city on Thursday over the reservation demand, officials said.

A meeting of the party's district level office-bearers was organised in a hotel located on Ambejogai Road here.

When NCP's state unit president Sunil Tatkare, Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare Sanjay Bansode, president of Maharashtra State Commission for Women Rupali Chakankar, MLC Vikram Kale arrived at the venue around 1 pm, a group of Maratha activists waved black flags and raised slogans over the quota demand.

Police detained six to seven members belonging to a Maratha outfit after the incident, and they were taken to a police station, the officials said, adding that security was later stepped up there.

The Maharashtra legislature on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category. However, activist Manoj Jarange appeared firm on his demand for quota to the community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde tabled the Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill, 2024, in the assembly during the one-day special session of the legislature called to resolve the months-long deadlock on the Maratha quota issue.

Meanwhile, in a related development, a few residents of Malwadi in Udgir tehsil also arrived at the NCP's meeting venue seeking to meet minister Bansode.

They said they wanted to complain to the minister that their land had been encroached by some people.

These villagers were found carrying bottles filled with petrol. Alert police personnel, who noticed the bottles detained them and took them to Shivaji Nagar police station to know their intention, inspector Anmol Sagar told PTI.