Apprise us by Dec 17 of steps taken on quota issue: Jarange Patil to state

Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil has given the Maharashtra state government until December 17 to share details of steps taken to provide reservation for Marathas in government jobs and education. If the government fails to do so, Patil has threatened to resume protests after December 24. Patil also criticized government ministers for not contacting him since he called off his hunger strike in November.

Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Friday asked the state government to share by December 17 the details of steps taken till then to provide reservation to the community in government jobs and education.

Thane, Nov 22 (ANI): Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil greets the gathering during the event organised by Sakal Maratha Morcha at Ram Ganesh Gadkari Rangayatan theater, in Thane on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) (Nitin Lawate)

He has also called a meeting on the same day at his hometown, Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district, to decide on another round of protest after December 24, when the deadline will end.

“I am asking the state government to share what they’ve done about Maratha reservation till December 17. If they failed to do so, we would take our decision to resume the protest,” Jarange-Patil said in Jalna district.

He said none of the ministers and leaders, who were part of the delegation to convince him to withdraw the hunger strike on November 2, had contacted him since then.

“This leads to a question whether they are trying to cheat the Maratha community,” he said and warned, “Henceforth your words will be left with no value and once we take a decision to protest, we will not go back on it.”

Jarange Patil has been demanding the OBC quota benefits be extended to Marathas, which has sparked tension between the two communities.

He called off his indefinite hunger strike after the Eknath Shinde government agreed to certain demands such as providing reservation before December 24 and withdrawing all police cases registered against Marathas during the protest.

“Marathas will show their strength on the border of Mumbai like farmers did on the border of Delhi for over a year and a half during the protest against farm laws,” he had declared then.

Food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who is also a prominent OBC leader, called the ultimatum “blackmailing”. “What do you call the act of forcing the government to take a decision on a deadline with a threat to be ready to face consequences? It is nothing but blackmailing.”