Activist Manoj Jarange expressed his disappointment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not address the Maratha quota struggle during his visit to Maharashtra the day before. Jarange, who is on a hunger strike since October 25 seeking quota in jobs and education for the Maratha community, also criticised Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis for not raising the issue with the PM.
Addressing a press conference in Antarwali Sarati, Jarange said the Maratha community holds no grudges against Modi but it was disappointing that the prime minister did not prioritise their quota concerns. The Maratha community had high hopes that the PM, CM and Deputy CM would address the reservation issue but these expectations were not met. Despite giving 10,000 items of evidence to the Sandeep Shinde committee (looking into the feasibility of giving Kunbi certificates to Marathas), the state government has failed to act, Jarange claimed.
PM Modi visited Shirdi in Ahmednagar district on Thursday. During his visit, he inaugurated a devotees' complex at the famous Sai Baba Temple, the canal network of the Nilwande Dam, and the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana, which is aimed at providing financial assistance to 86 lakh farmers in the state.