Mumbai: Jarange-Patil continues hunger strike for Maratha reservation on 2nd day

Jarange-Patil reached Mumbai on Friday morning along with a huge convoy carrying thousands of supporters and their vehicles

Mumbai: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s indefinite hunger strike for reservation to Maratha community from OBC quota continued on the second day at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan with the crowd swelling in South Mumbai leading to traffic disruptions. Meanwhile, the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation headed by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil held a meeting on Saturday and after the meeting the minister said that the committee has taken a few decisions, which will be communicated to Jarange-Patil.

Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil during his indefinite hunger strike demanding Maratha reservation, at Azad Maidan, in Mumbai, on Friday. (PTI)

“We have taken some decisions which will be communicated to Jarange-Patil. This responsibility has been handed over to retired justice Sandeep Shinde. He will meet him along with divisional commissioner (Vijay Suryawanshi) and inform him about our decisions,” the water resources minister told reporters outside Sahyadri Guest House.

He said that the cabinet sub-committee, if required, is ready to discuss if there are other issues raised by Jarange-Patil

The Shinde committee was formed to decide the modalities of issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas and issuing guidelines to facilitate them. It was formed on September 9, 2023, when Eknath Shinde was the chief minister

Union home minister Amit Shah is also in town and is likely to be briefed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on the ongoing agitation.

Earlier, Jarange-Patil expressed anger as his agitation was ignored by the government. “I would urge the state government to accept our demand. Do not insult the poor Marathas,” he said.

“We are not demanding to remove the OBC quota and give it to us,” he said. “Do not create misunderstanding in the state. We are demanding what is our right. We are asking to get us included in OBC quotes based on the Kunbi antecedents as we are also OBCs.”

Jarange-Patil has been demanding reservation for the Maratha community from OBC quota. The demand is based on Kunbi, a sub-caste of Marathas, which is part of the OBC quota.

He alleged that some ministers are creating misunderstanding about his agitation to create instability in the state. He also pointed out that the BMC did not make proper arrangements for basic facilities for the protestors such as drinking water and toilets. Jarange-Patil also had to request the protestors to clear roads so that the commuters would not have to face traffic jams.

On Friday morning, Jarange-Patil reached Mumbai along with a huge convoy carrying thousands of supporters and their vehicles. They have declared to stay until their demand for reservation is fulfilled.

On the other hand, OBCs have started a chain hunger strike in Nagpur to defend their reservation quota. The community is worried that their quota will shrink if Jarange-Patil’s demand was accepted, and hence want to keep the pressure on the state government. They have also declared to lead a morcha to Mumbai in a fortnight asking Jarange-Patil to defend their quota.