Protests over Maratha reservation shut down 46 Maharashtra bus depots, causing loss of over ₹13 cr
₹13.25 crore in the past few days. Speaking to PTI, a spokesperson of the MSRTC said, “Bus operations in Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Parbhani, Hingoli, Jalna, Nanded, and Dharashiv districts have been badly hit by the protests." He said that around 20 buses were torched and 19 were damaged amid the protests over the last few days. The MSRTC has suffered losses to the tune of ₹5.25 crore due to damages to the buses and lost ₹8 crore in ticket sales due to protests in various parts of the state, PTI reported.
On Friday, a clash broke out between police and protesters demanding reservation for the Marathas in Jalna. Police resorted to lathi charges to disperse the protesters. The next day, that Saturday, CM Shinde said that the state government was committed to providing reservations to the Maratha community.
In 2018, Maharashtra Assembly passed a bill for 16% reservation to Marathas. However, the Supreme Court said that the Maratha quota law was unconstitutional. The court held that separate reservations for the Maratha community violated Article 14 (right to equality) 21 (due process of delay).
In the year 1997, Maratha Sangh and Maratha Seva Sangh organized the first major Maratha agitation for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions. The protestors said that the Marathas were not upper caste but essentially Kunbis (members of the agrarian community). After a prolonged struggle, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill proposing a 16% reservation in education and government jobs for the Maratha community.
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