Jarange-Patil accepts water, says hunger strike will continue

The activist announced that he would continue his stir till the Mahayuti issued a government resolution and began issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas

MUMBAI: After BJP legislator Prasad Lad announced that the state government had agreed to all his demands, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil sipped some water and was put on an intravenous drip. However, he announced that he would continue his stir till the Mahayuti issued a government resolution and began issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas. This was only the fifth day of his “indefinite” fast.

Manoj Jarange-Patil announced that he would continue his stir till the Mahayuti issued a government resolution and began issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas. (ANI Video Grab)

On Wednesday, Lad called on the quota activist and assured him that all pending demands of the Maratha community would be addressed before September 17, observed as Marathwada Liberation Day. The MLA said the process of issuing Kunbi certificates under the Hyderabad Gazette would begin from noon on September 3.

Lad appealed to Jarange-Patil to withdraw his hunger strike, telling him that he would return to his village with all the concerned ministers on Thursday to discuss the demands. He gave the quota activist assurances on several key issues: withdrawal of the remaining police cases against those booked during the Maratha reservation agitation; an extension of the Justice Shinde Committee’s tenure by another year; and a separate office for the committee.

The MLA also promised that the government would extend all educational and economic concessions available to the OBC community to Marathas. He said that no Maratha student’s admission would be cancelled pending a final decision on reservation, and the state would bear their educational fees. He also assured direct coordination with Mantralaya to expedite issues concerning the community.

Following Lad’s assurances, Jarange drank water but stopped short of calling off his agitation. “Take another four days to accept all the demands but give us everything in writing,” he said. “Begin issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas. My act of drinking water does not mean an end to this fast.”

Lad said that most of the 1,376 cases filed during the Maratha reservation agitation had already been withdrawn. He further announced the immediate release of the remaining ₹300 crore for the Annasaheb Patil Economic Backward Development Corporation, which distributes loans to Maratha entrepreneurs.