Maharasthra bandh: Violence and near-total shutdown in Marathwada, Nashik, Kolhapur

PUNE: The bandh called by Dalit outfits in the state prompted a near-total response in Marathwada, punctuated by sporadic violence, with transport and establishments being mostly shut, and people keeping indoors.
Police sources said that the bandh was near total in almost entire region even as police teams continued to be on their toes rushing from one place to the other following reports of stone pelting from sensitive areas.
The violence has also affected the tourist traffic for the last three days, as this period being a part of tourist season. Police sources in the district also said that they have reports that a tourist bus carrying students from another district was pelted with stones. However, no one sustained injuries.
Meanwhile, following stone pelting at passing vehicles including the ones belonging to the police, the cops have launched a crackdown on alleged stone pelting activists and detained them in Ambedkanagar area in Cidco. Police had to burst tea gas shells in the area to disperse the rampaging mob. A resident however alleged that the police barged into the homes and dragged out alleged suspects, including even those who have nothing to do with the protests.
The city police have registered as many as 18 cases against hundreds of people and have named at least over two dozen people who allegedly led the rioters. The police have also booked hundreds of unidentified people involved in the Tuesday’s violence, following complaints by individuals as well the policemen who lodged complaints on behalf of the authorities in cases involving rioting, causing damage to the public as well as private property including vehicles, stone pelting and arson.
In Nashik, the response was more mixed. Industrial areas like Ambad and Satpur functioned as usual. In the city, ST buses stayed off the road from 7.30 am onwards, while trips of buses to other cities and districts were also cancelled. A large number of autorickshaw drivers also stayed off the road causing inconvenience to passengers, who were seen waiting at bus stops in large numbers.
Meanwhile, the police put up huge bandobast across the city. Barricading and check-points were seen in many areas of the city. Most of the schools also remained closed as they had informed the students or parents a day earlier. Those, which remained open saw lesser number of students as rickshaw drivers, school-van drivers informed the parents that they would not ply.
There were protest rallies in Cidco and Shalimar area during the first half of the day. An MUV was also damaged during the morning hours in the Jail Road area. Commissioner of Police Ravinder Kumar Singal said “Situation in Nashik city is peaceful, with no violence reported in any part of the city. Dindori and Satana, the rural parts, observed a strict bandh during the first half of the day.
In southern parts of the state like Kolhapur, pro and anti-bandh protestors brought out rallies in the city, which paralysed daily life. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has stopped plying all the buses from all the major bus stands since Wednesday morning to avoid any loss of public property during the bandh period. The protestors organised rallies on main roads and busy market areas raising slogans against Hindu outfits. Peaceful rallies were organised in Satara, Karad and Sangli with minor incidents of stone pelting. In Kolhapur police had to resort to mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd gathered at Dasara chowk. The mob gathered at various spots in the city and blocked roads as a part of their protest.
After the protestors vandalised shops and vendors near Mahalaxmi temple on Mahadwar road, the right wing organisations led by city MLA Rajesh Kshirsagar gathered at Mahadwar road and organised a rally to protest against violence of Dalit organisations. In Sangli city, protestors organised rally on major roads in city and appealed shop owners to close the shops in support of their cause. The protestors entered in Gavbhag area where Sambhaji Bhide resides and raised slogans against him. Heavy police force has been deployed at sensitive spots in the city.