Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange issued a stern warning on Sunday, stating that if the Maratha community is not granted reservation under the OBC category, community members from across Maharashtra will join the protest by next weekend
Mumbai: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange issued a stern warning on Sunday, stating that if the Maratha community is not granted reservation under the OBC category, community members from across Maharashtra will join the protest by next weekend. He further announced that he will intensify his ongoing agitation by refusing to consume water starting Monday.
Jarange, who has been staging a protest at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, is demanding that all Marathas be granted Kunbi caste certificates, which will make them eligible for OBC reservation. His agitation will enter its fourth day on Monday, with the deadlock showing no signs of resolution. Jarange has made it clear that he is unwilling to give additional time to the Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address the issue.
Accusing the government of ignoring the Maratha community’s demand, Jarange said that youth from across Maharashtra would join the protest on Saturday and Sunday. “Our main force — the youth — hasn’t even arrived yet. Once they come, you’ll see what happens here,” he declared, drawing loud applause and slogans from supporters at Azad Maidan.
Reiterating his core demand, Jarange said, “All Marathas must be given Kunbi certificates. Nobody can stop us from getting the OBC quota.”
In response to opposition from some OBC leaders, who argue against including Marathas in the OBC category, Jarange asserted that the government also depends on Maratha support. “If Marathas withdraw support from the Mahayuti, not even a gram panchayat member from their alliance will get elected,” he warned. He further added that resentment within the Maratha community could lead to the defeat of Mahayuti candidates in both village and municipal elections.
Meanwhile, senior minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who heads a cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha reservation, held a key meeting on Sunday with Maharashtra’s Advocate General Biren Saraf, retired High Court judge Sandeep Shinde, and other committee members including Ganesh Patil. The meeting focused on whether the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers — historical documents that could support the classification of Marathas as Kunbis — could be legally implemented to meet the community’s demand.
Speaking after the meeting, Vikhe-Patil said, “The Advocate General and Justice Shinde have requested more time to study whether the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers can be applied as per Mr. Jarange’s demand. I will brief the Chief Minister on the sub-committee’s discussion. There is a Supreme Court observation regarding the classification of Marathas and Kunbis, which says they are not the same. We cannot override this. However, we remain open to discussions as a solution must be found.”
