Intensified Promise by Jarange Regarding Protest for Quota Demands

In a significant development, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has issued a stern warning, 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.

Jarange's agitation, taking place at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, will enter its fourth day on Monday. The activist has announced that he will intensify his ongoing agitation by refusing to consume water starting Monday.

On Sunday, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh made a similar statement, announcing that if the Maratha community is not included in the OBC reservation category, Maratha members from across Maharashtra will join the protest next weekend.

The core demand of Jarange and his supporters is that all Marathas must be given Kunbi certificates to secure the OBC quota. This demand has been a contentious issue, with the Supreme Court observing that Marathas and Kunbis are not the same in terms of classification.

In a move to address this issue, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, head of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, held a key meeting on Sunday. However, the meeting did not discuss the intensification of Jarange's ongoing agitation or his demand for all Marathas to be given Kunbi certificates.

The sub-committee did discuss the applicability of the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers, which Jarange has been demanding be implemented to meet the Maratha community's demand. Advocate General Biren Saraf and retired High Court judge Sandeep Shinde were present at the meeting and requested more time to study the applicability of the gazetteers.

Despite the meeting, no decision has been made regarding the application of the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers as per Jarange's demand. Jarange has accused the government of ignoring the Maratha community's demand and threatened to withdraw Maratha support from Mahayuti, warning that no alliance member would be elected without it.

Youth from across Maharashtra are expected to join the protest on Saturday and Sunday, according to Jarange. If these youth join the protest, as promised, there will be a significant escalation at Azad Maidan, Jarange has declared.

The sub-committee remains open to discussions to find a solution. However, 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. The government's response to these developments will be closely watched in the coming days.