Mumbai, July 24: After a 28-year-old youth, Kakasaheb Shinde died after jumping into the river Godavari on Monday for Maratha reservation, the Maratha Kranti Morcha, an outfit leading the morcha for the past two years has demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakhs and a government job to the deceased's kin. The agitators also denied accepting the body of the youth until the demands are fulfilled by the government. Shinde's death has triggered protest in various cities and a statewide bandh, which excludes Mumbai, Pune and Solapur from early morning today. Along with compensation and government job, the agitators have also demanded that Shinde be declared a martyr, as he has sacrificed his life for his community.

As per the earlier report, Kakasaheb Shinde was among the several protestors who gathered on the bridge of River Godavari to press for special Maratha quota in educational institutions and government jobs. The youth jumped into the river as a mark of protest. Although the divers managed to bring him to the shore,  his condition deteriorated, and he lost his life at a hospital where he was admitted.

During the day, CM Fadnavis also had to cancel his ashadhi ekadashi pooja in Pandhurpur amid the protests. A few of the protestors also stalled the cars of two ministers to grab the attention of the ruling government over their pending demand. As per reports, around 18 state transport (ST) buses were damaged and a few were also torched during the violent demonstrations.

After the tragic death of the youth was reported, the opposition parties, Congress and NCP, lambasted the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government for their failure to fulfill the reservation demand of Marathas in education and government jobs.

The first Maratha Kranti Morcha took place when a minor girl was brutally raped and murdered. Following which, a large number of people gathered on streets with the demand to punish the culprits. Along with this, the community also wants a separate reservation for them like  the ST/SC communities. They firmly believe that only the reservation privilege extended to SC/STs has hampered the job and educational opportunities of the Marathas.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2018 12:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).