Maratha reservation row: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Monday announced that he plans to commence an indefinite fast for reservations in Mumbai on January 26, at either Azad Maidan or Shivaji Park ground. Jarange said that he will start walking from Antarwali Sarati village on January 20.
The Maratha community has been staging protests and demonstrations to demand reservation in government jobs and educational institutions under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Jarange plan for agitation
Jarange shared the plan for the upcoming agitation at the press conference. "Maratha community members will set out for Mumbai from Antarwali Sarati village (in Jalna district) on January 20. Part of their journey will be on foot and the rest using vehicles. Our target is to reach Mumbai by January 26," he told reporters in Antarwali Sarati village, the ground zero of the Maratha quota agitation led by him.
"Agitators will start from Antarwali Sarati at 9 am on January 20. They will walk till noon every day. Later they will board vehicles and proceed towards their next destination for a night halt," he added.
'Pass resolution to provide reservation to Marathas': Jarange
Earlier, Jarange had called on the Maharashtra government to fulfil the community's demand for reservation by passing a resolution to that effect before January 20. He suggested that if this is accomplished, the community members would not need to organize a protest march to Mumbai to advocate for the reservation demand.
"The government should fulfil our demands and pass a resolution to give quota to the Maratha community. If that happens, then we do not wish to go to Mumbai. The government should give the benefit of reservation to the entire family that is eligible for reservation based on the proof," he said.
Jarange reiterated his demand that the cases registered against the Maratha community members during violence in Antarwali Sarati should be withdrawn.
(With PTI inputs)
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