Against the backdrop of the persistent Maratha quota dispute in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday, appealing to him to conclude his indefinite hunger strike. The Chief Minister was joined by MLA Girish Mahajan, MoS Rao Saheb Danve, and Cabinet Minister Uday Samant during the meeting.
Jarange initiated an indefinite hunger strike on August 29, which has been ongoing at Antarwali Sarati village in the central Maharashtra district of Jalna, located over 400 kilometers away from Mumbai. His protest seeks to secure reservation in employment and educational opportunities for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued orders suspending Jalna district Additional Superintendent of Police Rahul Khade and Ambad tehsil Sub Divisional Police Officer Mukund Aghav for the lathicharge on pro-Maratha quota agitators at Antarwali Sarati village earlier this month.
According to reports, Manoj Jarange Patil has decided to call off his 17-day hunger strike. However, he emphasized that the agitation will continue until the Maratha community receives a complete Kunbi certificate. He had a short discussion with the CM for about 10 minutes before accepting a glass of orange juice to mark end of the fast. "I'm ready to give even 10 more days, but, we want a quota that will last in the court," Jarange-Patil added.
Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde lauded Jarange-Patil's commitment toward the Maratha community. "I know Manoj for many years. He has always been fighting for the community. Whenever we met, he never spoke of any personal demands. He is committed for the community. He has people's support because he is honest. I thank him (for ending fast) and also congratulate him for raising such an agitation. Govt is clear in its stand. We are committed to give reservation to Maratha community. We have cleared appointments of 3700 youth from the community. That shows the level of our commitment," CM Shinde said.