A call for a Nashik 'bandh' by Maratha organisations in Maharashtra, over a police lathi-charge on agitators demanding a quota for the community in Jalna, got a mixed response on Sunday.
The bandh call was made by the 'Sakal Maratha Samaj' and 'Maratha Kranti Morcha'.
On Friday, an agitation seeking reservation for the Maratha community turned violent at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district. Several people, including dozens of police personnel, were injured.
Police lathi-charged the violent mob and employed tear gas shells after they allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike as part of the quota stir to hospital.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha and other organisations held a protest march in Nashik city this morning. It began from the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and moved through several areas such as Ravivar Karanja and Main Road.
They appealed to owners of shops and business establishments to shut down. In response shops were closed in some parts of the city for a while and opened in the afternoon.
Buses and other services were not affected. But buses are not being operated to Jalna and Ahmednagar by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).
"People from across the district took part in the bandh voluntarily. We did not force them to participate,"Swarajya Party state convener Karan Gaykar, said.
"State Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis should take responsibility for the Jalna lathi-charge and resign. The rulers should not dare to act unjustly with the Maratha community," he said.
A 'rasta roko' (road blockade) was staged at the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Chowk on Vani-Saputara Road in the morning. Traffic on the road was held up for an hour.
