Jarange-Patil scales down rasta roko plan

The Maratha leader, who is on a fast at Antarvali Sarati, has demanded the immediate implementation of the ‘sage-soyare’ government resolution by which Marathas’ blood relatives and relatives by marriage will all get Kunbi certificates that will entitle them to reservation under the OBC quota

MUMBAI: Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil has scaled down his plan of holding rasta rokos (road blockades) twice a day. The activist ordered his followers to begin the blockades on Saturday as planned but said they were to be limited to once a day from 10.30 am to 1 pm. He also asked his followers to record all the protests to ensure that “government stooges” did not create trouble.

Jarange-Patil scales down rasta roko plan

The Maratha leader, who is on a fast at Antarvali Sarati, has demanded the immediate implementation of the ‘sage-soyare’ government resolution by which Marathas’ blood relatives and relatives by marriage will all get Kunbi certificates that will entitle them to reservation under the OBC quota.

Jarange-Patil’s ostensible reason for calling off the evening rasta rokos was that school and college examinations as well as various community functions were on in the state, and people must not be inconvenienced. He, however, directed Marathas to stage dharnas, and demanded that government officers go to the protest sites to accept representations from all protestors. He also reiterated that Marathas must not allow political leaders near their houses.

NCP minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal said to the media on Friday that he had always supported separate reservation for Marathas. “The new legislation also supports it and there is no need for a new agitation,” he said. To this Jarange-Patil riposted: “We have a right to fight. We will protest every day and question the government. Who is Bhujbal to question us?”

Leader of the opposition Vijay Wadettiwar (Congress) said that Jarange-Patil should not take Marathas for granted and ought to be content with the reservation the government had granted. Reacting to this, Jarange Patil said, “Has Rahul Gandhi told Wadettiwar to speak against Marathas?”