Live Updates: Maratha outfits call for 'Jail bharo andolan' in Mumbai

IANS photo

MUMBAI: Maratha outfit Maratha Kranti Morcha will launch the next phase of their agitation – "Jail Bharo Andolan" – on Wednesday, August 1. The protest is being organised at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. The outfit is demanding a decision on the Maratha quota at the earliest, take back all cases against Maratha protesters, action against the officers responsible for firing and lathi charge during July 25 protest, resignation or sacking of ministers MLAs who gave irresponsible statements against Maratha community.

Apart from the above, the Morcha has also been demanding loan waiver, justice in Kopardi rape case, a solution to unemployment in their community and compensation for the injured and the family members of those who died during protests.

A heavy layer of security has been thrown across Mumbai by law enforcement agencies.

The number of suicides in the ongoing Maratha quota agitation rose to six on Tuesday after a labourer and a student ended their lives, triggering fresh protests.

Here are the live updates from the Maratha "Jail Bharo Andolan":

01 August 2018

11:06 IST

The Jail Bharo Andolan will continue till Wednesday, August 8. From August 9, agitators will start uncooperative protests. 

10:29 IST

Maratha outfits are expected to hold peaceful protests at Mumbai's Azad Maidan. Demonstrators will gather at around 11 am.

09:52 IST

In Maharashtra, OBC has 19 per cent reservation, SC 13 per cent, ST has 7 per cent, Nomadic Tribe (C) has 3.5 per cent, Nomadic Tribe (D) has 2 per cent and Special Backward Class has 2 per cent reservation. It makes up to 52 per cent reservations in jobs and 50 per cent in education. The Marathas have been demanding 16 per cent quota in education and employment.

07:52 IST

Abhijeet Deshmukh, 35, a farm labourer in Veeda village in Beed district in Marathwada region hanged himself from a tree near his house on Tuesday. Among the other reasons Deshmukh mentioned in his suicide note were unemployment and unpaid bank loan, a police official said. "We found a suicide note in which Deshmukh mentioned that he is taking this extreme step in support of Maratha reservation demand," Beed SP G Shridhar told PTI.

07:39 IST

On Tuesday, two more persons - labourer and a student - committed suicides, triggering further protests. With this, the total number of suicides in the Maratha quota agitation rose to six. A 17-year-old student died after jumping into a well at Vadodbazar village in Fulambri teshil of Aurangabad district, police said. Pradip Hari Mhaske, who secured 75 per cent marks in the 10th standard exam, failed to secure admission in a junior college and a technical training institute in absence of any Maratha quota in these institutions, an official said.

07:36 IST

The State Backward Class Commission, appointed by the Maharashtra government, has received 1.90 lakh applications and report from five social organisations for Maratha reservations. The commission headed by Justice MG Gaikwad (retired) had visited all the districts of Maharashtra in the last seven months to collect requests and applications from various groups for reservations. "We will study all social and economic details of the report and will classify the information on factual basis. We are not here to include our individual opinion in the report," Gaikwad told DNA.

07:06 IST

Reacting over reports of youths attempting suicide amid protest, Fadnavis urged the protestors to maintain calm and not take any decision in haste.
"Reservations will be given but I request the youth not to give their lives as we cannot take any decision in a haste because if we do, maybe the court will intervene and not allow reservations," he said.
"We want to give the reservations in a systematic manner with the confidence of courts and government. We don`t want to make vague promises on the reservations issue. We want to work on a solution practically and not just emotionally. We want the reservations to be genuine," he added.

07:06 IST

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday assured that his government is working towards finding a permanent solution to combat the crisis. "We have approached the backward commission and we are working with them to get the Maratha reservation issue resolved at the earliest," said Fadnavis.

"We are working towards giving reservations and we are sure our government will soon give reservations as we are working extremely hard and ambitiously towards it," he added.