(WITH PHOTO)
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
To press demands such as granting reservation to the Maratha community under the OBC category and enacting a law for kinship-based inclusion, Maratha reservation movement leader Manoj Jarange Patil has announced a mass protest in Mumbai on August 29.
In a preparatory move, the Sakal Maratha Samaj held a meeting on Sunday at Chhatrapati College, where it was decided to hold corner meetings in villages and urban wards to spread awareness and mobilize maximum participation. The community has rejected the state government’s SEBC reservation for Marathas, citing over 18 petitions already filed in court against it. Jarange Patil has reiterated that the Maratha community should be granted reservation only under the OBC category, and urged lakhs to join the Mumbai protest. At Sunday’s meeting, an appeal was made for those unable to attend the protest to arrange transportation for others. It was resolved to conduct corner meetings in both urban wards and rural areas to encourage larger turnout. The proposal to hold rallies with two- and four-wheeler in the city was also unanimously accepted. Among those present at the meeting were: Prithviraj Pawar, Sunil Kotkar, Dnyaneshwar Kanke, Nitin Kakade and other community members.