Beed, Dharashiv Bandh Today: Marathas Call Shutdown in Support of Manoj Jarange's Hunger Strike

Members of the Maratha community called for a bandh in Maharashtra's Dharashiv and Beed district on Saturday, September 21, in a show of solidarity with activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past five days, demanding the inclusion of the Maratha community in the reservation quota.

An appeal has been made to keep markets, schools and colleges closed in the districts. Manoj Jarange Patil's health deteriorated on Friday, the fifth day of his fast. He was unable to stand and was given immediate saline treatment after a phone conversation with Minister Shambhuraj Desai, who urged him to take the treatment and wait for two more days. Patil accepted the saline treatment out of respect for the minister's request.

Also Read | Maratha Reservation Issue: OBC Leader Laxman Hake Opposes Jarange's Demands, Says He Should Join Bigg Boss.

On the intervening night between Friday and Saturday, tensions erupted between OBC community members from Wadigodri and Maratha activists on a hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati. The location where Manoj Jarange Patil is sitting on hunger strike is 3 km from where the OBC community is also on a hunger strike in Jalna’s Wadigodri. Since the OBC community is protesting on the road leading to Antarwali, clashes occurred between Maratha and OBC activists.