Maharashtra minister Hassan Mushriff’s car vandalised in Mumbai amid Maratha quota protests | Mumbai News
2 min readIn the latest incident of an attack on politicians amid protests over the issue of Maratha reservation, the car of the leader of Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction and Maharashtra minister Hassan Mushriff was vandalised in Mumbai on Wednesday.
A group of people shouting pro-Maratha slogans of “Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha” pelted stones and broke the window panes of the car. Mushriff was not in the SUV, which was parked outside Akashwani Bhawan, when the incident took place.
Maharashtra | Two men raising slogans for Maratha reservation seen vandalising the car belonging to State minister & NCP leader Hasan Mushrif at the MLAs’ residence near Akashvani in Mumbai’s Colaba, say police. Police have detained three people in this connection. pic.twitter.com/SulHanIChF
— ANI (@ANI) November 1, 2023
Later speaking to the media, Mushriff said, “Fortunately, I was not inside the car. So, I want to convey to my followers not to worry. I am fine”.
“I understand the sentiments of Maratha reservation activists. Even if they targeted me, I will continue to support the Maratha reservation and I am with the Maratha community,” he added.
Mushriff said the Maharashtra government is sincerely working to implement the Maratha reservation and the cabinet took a major decision on Tuesday.
“While such instances of violence are a cause of concern, in some places these attacks on politicians are also an outcome of local political rivalry. Maratha activists are fighting for reservation rights and it is likely that somebody from the outside is using the protest to settle political scores at local levels,” he claimed.
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He also urged the police not to take action against those who attacked his car. “Let them go,” he said.
On Monday, protesters set the houses and offices of two sitting NCP MLAs — Prakash Solanke of the Ajit Pawar faction and Sandeep Kshirsagar of the Sharad Pawar group — on fire in Beed district. Violence was also reported in the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district.
After the protests by the Maratha community, demanding reservation, took a violent turn, security was stepped up for ministers and around properties owned by them across the state.