Sholay-style protest at collector office demanding Maratha reservation

Standoff continues for two and a half hours: Ends peacefully after discussion

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Officials representing the Maratha Mawla organization staged a 'Sholay' style protest on Thursday afternoon, scaling the Collector office building to demand reservation for the Maratha community. However, the protest came to a peaceful resolution after senior revenue and police officials engaged in a discussion with the protestors. Following the talks, the agitation was withdrawn.

The protest gained momentum when Manoj Jarange Patil initiated an indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati, calling for the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation category. In solidarity, members of the Maratha Mawla organization, including Pandharinath Godse, Bharat Kadam, Udayraj Gaikwad, Vishal Aher, and Deepak Narle, climbed onto the roof of the collector office, demanding OBC reservation for the Maratha community. Positioned on the protective wall of the terrace, the protestors demanded reservation for their community, rallying in support of Manoj Jarange Patil, while also expressing their dissent against the state government.

The sudden protest caught the administration off guard. Resident deputy collector Janardhan Vidhate, Deputy commissioner of police Nitin Bagate, ACPs Sampat Shinde, Masood Khan, and inspector Nirmala Pardeshi from the City Chowk police station swiftly arrived at the collector office.

The fire brigade personnel were also summoned to the scene. Sensing the need for dialogue, the police officers appealed to the protestors to engage in discussions. The standoff continued for approximately two and a half hours, during which the protestors warned that they would jump from the building if apprehended. However, they eventually suspended the agitation and agreed to participate in discussions, leading to their safe descent from the building.