Maratha quota stir: Situation under control in Beed, 49 people arrested
Chhaptrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): Police have arrested 49 people in connection with the violence in Maharashtra's Beed district during the ongoing agitation for Maratha reservation, an official said on Tuesday.
A curfew was imposed in parts of Beed district on Monday evening after a series of incidents of violence and arson targeting properties of politicians.
The situation is currently under control, Beed Superintendent of Police Nandkumar Thakur told PTI.
"Offences for rioting and putting lives in danger have been lodged in connection with the incidents. So far, 49 agitators have been arrested. There was no untoward incident at night, and the situation is under control," he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in the district to maintain law and order, the official said.
As per the order issued by Beed Collector Deepa Mudhol Munde, the curfew has been enforced in a periphery of 5 kilometres from the collector office, head offices of talukas along with all national highways passing through the district, another official said.
On Monday morning, the residence of NCP (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Prakash Solanke at Majalgaon town in Beed district was set on fire and stones were hurled at it by a group of quota agitators, police earlier said.
The group also set ablaze a car parked at the residence of Solanke after an audio clip of the MLA, in which he purportedly spoke about the Maratha quota agitation and made a veiled comment on the fasting quota activist Manoj Jarange, went viral.
After the arson at the legislator's home, a group of Maratha reservation activists dispersed from there and later set ablaze the first floor of the Majalgaon Municipal Council building and vandalised it.
A group of Maratha quota activists barged into the residential premises and office of NCP MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar in Beed city and set them on fire on Monday evening.
In another incident, the residence of former state minister Jaydutt Kshirsagar was torched and pelted with stones in Beed city by protesters.
A mob of Maratha agitators had also gathered outside the residence of NCP (Ajit pawar faction) leader Amarsingh Pandit and police fired tear-gas shells to disperse them.
The violence and arson took place at a time when Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange is continuing his indefinite hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district since October 25 in support of the reservation demand.
Maratha community members have been staging protests in different parts of the state seeking reservation in government jobs and education under the OBC category.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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