Amid the ongoing Maratha quota row in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held a telephonic conversation with activist Manoj Jarange and urged him to end his indefinite hunger strike. According to sources, the Chief Minister also also the Maratha quota activist to reconsider his demands. However, Jarange has demanded that the Maharashtra Chief Minister meet him so that he can withdraw his hunger strike.
Demands of the Maratha quota activist:
- The state government should start issuing 'Kunbi' caste certificates to the Maratha community
- All the police cases against Maratha quota protesters should be withdrawn
- The police officials who ordered the lathi-charge on protesters should be suspended
- All these assurances should be given in writing
- CM Eknath Shinde, both deputy CMs, Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale and Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati should be present at the time of the withdrawal of the fast
Maratha quota activist on hunger strike
Jarange has been on an indefinite hunger strike since August 29 at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district of central Maharashtra, demanding reservation in jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for the Maratha community.
Govt sets up 5-member panel
The state government has set up a five-member panel headed by Judge Sandeep Shinde (retired) to determine the Standard Operating Procedures, including legal and administrative framework, for giving caste certificates to Maratha community members who have been described as `Kunbis' in the Nizam-era documents. This will allow Marathas from the Marathwada region -- which was part of Nizam's Hyderabad state till 1948 -- to avail of quota benefits as Kunbis are now categorized as OBCs.
The Maharashtra activist also said he was giving one month's time to the Maharashtra government so that a state-appointed committee could prepare its report on the Maratha reservation. “I want Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to come here so that I can withdraw my fast for the Maratha quota. We will subsequently continue a chain fasting along with my supporters at the same protest site, Jarange told reporters on Tuesday night.
Maratha quota matter intensified
It should be mentioned here that the Maratha quota matter snowballed into a major challenge for the state government after the police last week baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district when protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Jarange to hospital. Several persons, including 45 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the violence.
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