Maratha quota protesters set tehsildar's chair on fire in Umarga, four detained

The agitation for Maratha reservation turned aggressive on Wednesday in Umarga, Dharashiv district. Police allege that four protesters entered the tehsil office, pulled a chair out of the tehsildar's office and set it on fire with petrol in the tehsil compound. Police have registered a case against four people and taken them into custody.

The incident took place between around 9:30 am and 10 am on Wednesday. Some activists protesting for Maratha reservation reached the Umarga tehsil office while peons in the office were cleaning the premises. An attempt was made to stop the protesters, but they are said to have entered the tehsildar's cabin. The tehsildar's chair was then carried out of the cabin to a platform with a flagpole in the tehsil compound. It is alleged that petrol was poured on the chair and it was set on fire.

Police have detained four people in the case: Annasaheb Govindrao Pawar, Mahadev Govind Mane, Vitthal Dashrath Pawar (all residents of Naichakur) and Vaijinath Aaba Kale (resident of Madaj, Umarga taluka). On learning of the incident, tehsildar Govind Yerme contacted police inspector Prahlad Suryavanshi, following which police reached the spot and detained the protesters.

When police asked the protesters to get into the vehicle, they reportedly resisted. Police then walked them to the police station. During this, the protesters raised slogans in support of Maratha reservation. They reached the police station chanting slogans such as "Marathas must be given reservation", "if it is not given, we will take it" and "one Maratha, a million Marathas".

It has also been alleged that while entering the tehsildar's cabin, the protesters pushed and shoved a peon who tried to stop them and forced their way in. Following the incident, employees of the tehsil office also went to the police station. Tehsildar Govind Yerme also visited the police station and spoke with the police inspector about the process of registering the case.

After the incident, tehsildar Govind Yerme appealed to people to maintain peace. He said people should not trust rumours spreading on social media, should not forward unverified messages or videos, and should cooperate with the administration in maintaining law and order while relying on accurate information.