Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
After the Water Resources Minister, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and the Minister for Social Welfare, Atul Save, assured that they would arrange a meeting with the Chief Minister regarding the demands of the Maratha community, the Maratha Arakshan Chintan Andolan, which had been ongoing at Kranti Chowk since last Sunday, was called off. The fasting leader, Ramesh Kere Patil, ended his fast by drinking juice, handed over by the ministers.
The Maratha Kranti Morcha, Maratha Kranti Thok Morcha, and various organisations from the Maratha community came together to launch the Maratha Reservation Chintan Andolan at Kranti Chowk from February 23, demanding sustainable reservation for the Maratha community, withdrawal of cases against Maratha activists, resolution of issues for Sarathi students, financial provisions for the Annasaheb Patil Corporation, resignation of Minister Dhananjay Munde in the case of the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, and other related issues. The coordinator, Ramesh Kere Patil, was fasting at the protest site.
Regarding the Maratha reservation, the coordinator, Rajendra Datey Patil, presented a detailed PPT on the Government Resolutions (G.R.s) issued and the reservations granted to date.
On the 5th day of the hunger strike, on Thursday night, Minister Vikhe Patil visited the protest site and by meeting Kere assured him that he would discuss the community's demands with the Chief Minister. Later, on Friday afternoon, the minister returned to Kranti Chowk and informed that the CM was prepared to arrange a meeting regarding the demands. He also assured that decisions would be made regarding other demands in the upcoming legislative session and requested to call off the strike, stating that the government was positive about the demands. In response, the protesters showed readiness to suspend the agitation and end the strike. Shortly afterwards, Minister Atul Save arrived at the site. Both ministers then offered lemon water to Kere, and he ended his hunger strike.