Activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday warned that if Marathas are denied their quota, they will “make them (ruling parties) bite the dust” in elections, saying that the entire community must be included in the OBC category.
The remarks came while the quota activist was speaking to reporters at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he was admitted after ending his five-day hunger strike in Mumbai demanding Maratha reservations in education and government jobs.
The hunger strike of Jarange concluded on Tuesday when the Maharashtra government announced the formation of a committee to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members with historical evidence of their Kunbi heritage, a social group recognised as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the state.
“If the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes are not implemented in a month, we will make them (ruling parties) bite the dust in the upcoming elections. Step by step, I will ensure that the entire Maratha community is included in the OBC category,” news agency PTI quoted Jarange as saying.
The activist emphasised that his fight for a reservation represents Marathas from all corners of the state.
{{/usCountry}}The activist emphasised that his fight for a reservation represents Marathas from all corners of the state.
{{/usCountry}}“The agitation will continue as the Marathas in the Konkan region are yet to be covered. The people of Konkan should avail themselves of the reservation benefits, or else they will regret it after 40-50 years. They should not listen to anyone and put their future generations in jeopardy,” he added.
When questioned about the government’s plan to form a cabinet sub-committee to fast-track OBC welfare and address reservation issues, Jarange said he had no objections.
“If we get something, they (some OBC leaders) make demands. They always whine. But if OBCs benefit from it, we are happy. If the government is initiating such steps for OBCs, they should also constitute sub-committees for Dalits, Muslims, tribals, and farmers,” he said.
With PTI inputs