Pune: As the Maratha quota reservation protest intensified on Monday, authorities stopped people wearing black from entering the stadium to witness the World Cup match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka played in Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Monday.
After a large number of cricket fans reached the stadium, the police did not allow anyone wearing black clothes or carrying black flags to enter the stadium to ensure no symbolic protests disrupted the match. Fans wearing black were asked to change their clothes or return home.
Notably, members of the Maratha community staged a protest in different regions of Maharashtra on Monday with mobs torching the houses of two sitting MLAs in Beed district. They are demanding reservations in education and government jobs for the community under the Other Backward Category (OBC).
This protest was boosted after the Jalna-based activist Manoj Jarange-Patil sat on an indefinite fast and continued his fast strike for the sixth consecutive day for the Maratha reservation.
Meanwhile, in the World Cup 2023 clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, both teams have kept themselves alive in the race to the semi-final spot but one more loss can hurt their chances to advance into the next stage of the marquee tournament. Afghanistan have proved their mettle registering shock wins over England and Pakistan in the tournament. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will not take the Afghan challenge lightly considering the quality of spinners they possess in their ranks.
Also read - World Cup 2023: Sri Lanka crawl to 241 against unwavering Afghan attack
Also read - World Cup 2023: Injury-hit Sri Lanka to face Afghanistan's mighty spin challenge
