MUMBAI, April 9 -- Police in Marathwada are struggling to explain a mysterious phenomenon across several districts - statues of Maratha warrior kings Chhatrapati Shivaji and Chhatrapati Sambhaji have begun appearing, often overnight, in public places. In the last six weeks, more than three dozen statues have surfaced in prominent public spaces such as in temple complexes, at village entrances, near national highways and next to the statues of national leaders. The phenomenon has already sparked tension: on April 2, clashes broke out in Anjangaon village in Solapur district between the Dhangar and Maratha communities over a Shivaji statue installed at the Kheloba Devasthan, dedicated to a local deity. Beed police alone have registered 32 FIRs in the last four weeks for the unauthorised installation of statues. Dharashiv district has reported at least two such cases, while Jalna has recorded one. Totally, three dozen statues have cropped up in six weeks across districts, particularly in the Marathwada region. Tensions surfaced in Ambad taluka, in Janla district, after a statue of Sambhaji was erected atop an arch dedicated to a local saint. In another instance, a statue of Shivaji installed in Sheradhon village in Dharashiv district near a statue of Dr BR Ambedkar led to protests before authorities intervened and removed it. After preliminary investigations, a pattern seemed to emerge. It pointed to Balraje Aware-Patil, a controversial social activist, who was arrested in Solapur earlier this week. Aware-Patil, who hails from Ambad taluka in Jalna district, calls himself a "devotee of Shivaji Maharaj" and heads an outfit called Dharmaveer Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Shaurya Pratisthan. According to an earlier boast, he claims to have installed more than 600 statues of Shivaji across the state at his own expense. Most of the statues that have cropped up in the last few weeks were made from plaster of Paris and synthetic material. They are easy to make and ready for swift installation. Police say Aware-Patil used social media to mobilise support in Maratha-dominated villages, encouraging crowd-funding for the statues. Following his arrest, police have sealed his workshop in Ambad. The theory being pursued is that planting statues of the Maratha kings across the region is meant to polarise communities in Marathwada, a politically hot potato for campaigns promoting the Maratha cause. It is where Manoj Jarange-Patil shot into the limelight in 2023 and has since been a thorn in the side for the BJP-led Mahayuti government, which has had to make major quota concessions to the Maratha community after massive protests led by him. With Jarange-Patil no longer making headline news, the statues are an effective stand-in for him, experts believe. Significantly, Aware-Patil was previously associated with the Maratha quota activist before the former set up his own outfit. Mumbai-based political analyst Hemant Desai said, "Marathwada has been the epicentre of the Maratha reservation protest and, in turn, the polarisation of communities for political gains. The protests by Jarange-Patil were engineered by certain political parties and the results were seen in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Aware-Patil's statues have the same political design." Police say that ever since they began registering complaints against locals where statues have been illegally erected and for protests when they are taken down, they have received phone calls from politicians urging leniency towards those involved. Beed Superintendent of Police, Navneet Kawat, said 32 FIRs have been filed in recent weeks. "We could not take firm action because the provisions in the law are weak and the offences are non-cognisable and bailable. In most cases, Balraje Aware Patil was behind it. He would rally villagers to collect money for the statues he manufactured." Kawat added, "Since the Solapur police have arrested him and booked him for a cognisable offence, for inciting communal tension, we will transfer our cases to them." Meanwhile, OBC activist Baliram Khatke from Jalna said that while communities respect Chhatrapati Shivaji, the way in which these statues have been installed is contentious. He said they were often erected without permission, at night, and at sensitive locations such as near statues of Dr BR Ambedkar or religious sites, fuelling tension....