Activist Manoj Jarange voiced concerns about potential arrest and urged Marathas to maintain composure while encouraging them to email the Prime Minister and Maharashtra's Chief Minister to halt what he described as the suppression of the quota agitation. Jarange has faced criticism for his inflammatory remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday, where he accused the BJP leader of attempting to harm him. Following this, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the state government on Tuesday to establish a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct a thorough inquiry into Jarange's comments against Fadnavis.
Previously, the activist had employed derogatory language while staging a hunger strike protesting the state government's failure to implement the SAGE SOYRE (blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas) draft notification. Issued in January, the notification aimed to provide certificates to qualifying Kunbi (OBC) Marathas.
Jarange was speaking to reporters on Wednesday at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he is undergoing treatment after ending his fast two days back over his demand of reservation for the Maratha community. Dictatorship is going on. Even the British (rulers) did not do this. I spoke about Devendra Fadnavis, and his party leaders who are Marathas became angry. If they are Marathas, they would have spoken to their leader and asked him to implement the quota for relatives (of Marathas), the activist said.
I am aware that they are planning to arrest me. However, I urge the community to maintain calmness and observe the government's actions regarding the Maratha quota agitation," he stated. Jarange emphasized that even if he is incarcerated, he will steadfastly uphold his demands for reservation for the 'blood relatives' of Marathas. He advocated for considering gazettes as a basis for issuing certificates and withdrawing cases related to the agitation lodged against Maratha community members statewide. The community people should remain calm and write emails to the president, prime minister, governor and chief minister and urge them to stop suppression of the Maratha quota agitation, he said.