MUMBAI, April 9 -- Police in Marathwada are struggling to explain a mysterious phenomenon across districts - statues of Maratha warrior kings Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj 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 statues of national leaders. The phenomenon has already sparked tension: on April 2, clashes broke out in Anjangaon village in Solapur between Dhangars and Marathas 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. Solapur police have arrested Balraje Aware-Patil, a controversial social activist from Ambad taluka in Jalna district. He calls himself a "devotee of Shivaji Maharaj" and was earlier associated with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil. Police and experts believe the sudden surge in these statues is meant to polarise communities and keep the Maratha cause alive in Marathwada, which has seen major campaigns for reservations in recent years. P5...