By fasting to death, either my funeral procession or victory procession for Maratha reservation will take place, he warns
Amid mounting pressure from Maratha, Dhangar, and Muslim communities for providing reservations, Manoj Jarange Patil, the Jalna-based activist who had hogged the headlines for his recent fast for the Maratha quota, on Saturday at the massive rally held at Antarwali Sarati in Jalandhar district gave an ultimatum to the Eknath Shinde led MahaYuti government to fulfill its promise by giving reservation to the Maratha community within 10 days. The government has a deadline of October 24.
‘’We are not prepared to wait more than that. The next course of action will be announced on October 22 at the press conference,’’ he said.
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‘’I promise once again, I promised you on August 29th. By fasting to death, either my funeral procession or victory procession for the Maratha reservation will take place. There will be no withdrawal now. If Marathas are not given reservation by October 23, I will go on such an extreme hunger strike that it will lead to either my funeral procession or victory march for reservation of Marathas. The next direction will be announced on October 22. The Maratha community should get ready. There is no retreat now unless the reservation is put in the ranks of the Marathas. This movement will be peaceful but the Marathas will not back down,” said Manoj Jarange.
‘’As your son, this Manoj Jarange will not back down even an inch unless the reservation is provided to the Maratha community. We make a final request to the government. Stop the work of the committee formed last month to check necessary documents. You had promised that the law would not be passed in four days, give us a month’s time and pass the law. Now the committee has got five thousand pages of evidence. Based on that, give Kunbi certificate to Maratha community in Maharashtra and include Maratha community in OBC,’’ said Jarange-Patil amid slogan shouting and thunderous applause from the pro-Maratha reservation activists gathered in a scorching sun.
Jarange-Patil in his spirited speech urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, the union cabinet, and the Maharashtra government to join hands on behalf of the crores of Maratha community for providing the reservation. “Do not cause unnecessary distress to the Maratha community, which is the largest community in this state. The center and state should make an immediate decision to include this poor Maratha community in OBC. The government should take a public decision to grant Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community and include them in OBC. We are not ready to wait for more than 10 days,” he warned.
“I tell the center and the state, today the Marathas are peaceful, if they take up the demand aggressively then they will not withdraw till reservation is provided. This poor Maratha community provides food grains to the country by working hard in agriculture. Their children should not be deprived of reservation. It is the dream of a poor Maratha that he should also get a job. To fulfill this dream, the government should immediately announce the Maratha reservation,’’ said Jarange-Patil.
Jarange-Patil urged Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the crucial home department, to direct his workers (from BJP) not to take the Marathas to task.
‘’Don’t forget that these same Marathas have elected 106 MLAs (of BJP). Marathas have a lion’s share in bringing power to the center and state. So don’t go against the Marathas,’’he warned. He also called upon the PM to admonish Fadnavis as he was fielding his workers (BJP) against us. Now I am telling the PM and also Fadnavis that if you give reservation to the Maratha community, activists will dance,’’he said.
‘’Fadnavis should stop opposing the Marathas. Give reservation to Marathas. We will come to Delhi with truckloads of gulal (red powder)’’ he declared.
Jarange-Patil’s massive show of strength and ultimatum is expected to increase the trouble for the MahaYuti government as both the Maratha and OBC communities have become vocal on the issue. While Jarange-Patil has been pressing for reservation from the OBC quota, the OBCs have warned that they will not tolerate encroachment in their existing quota. CM Eknath Shinde, Fadnavis, and another DCM Ajit Pawar have repeatedly said that the government is committed to providing Maratha reservation, which was scrapped by the Supreme Court, without touching the quotas of OBCs and other communities. Interestingly, the leaders from the tribal community are against giving reservations from its quota to the Dhangar community.
Opposition parties Shiv Sena UBT, NCP led by Sharad Pawar, and Congress have said reservation to the Maratha community will be possible only after the 50% ceiling on quota imposed by the Supreme Court is lifted. Thereby these parties have now put the ball in the Centre’s court while asking the MahaYuti to convince the PM.
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