Maratha quota activist Jarange suspends indefinite fast; gives 1 month to govt to accept demands

Manoj Jarange. File Pic

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange suspended his indefinite fast on Thursday over the reservation issue six days after launching it, reported PTI. Jarange has set a deadline of one month before the Maharashtra government to accept the community's demands.

As per the report, the announcement was made by him after Maharashtra minister and member of Maratha quota sub-committee Shambhuraj Desai, Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre met him at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district and discussed the issue.

"We are giving a month's time to the government to fulfil the demands of the Maratha community. But we will also go ahead with our preparations for the upcoming assembly elections. If the government doesn't provide reservation to us, we will go and take it," said Jarange addressing people at the protest site.

"If the demands are not fulfilled in a month, neither the opposition members nor those in the government should come to us. We will defeat the candidates (in the state assembly elections) by declaring their names," he said.

Jarange launched his fresh round of protest from Saturday, reported PTI. Has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and also seeking a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas.

Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits.

Talking after his meeting with Jarange, minister Desai said, "A meeting will be convened tomorrow (over the issue). Of the last five months, two months passed in following the model code of conduct (for the Lok Sabha polls). We will take a positive decision on the demands of the Maratha community in a month. If additional manpower is required to expedite the work, we will do so with the permission of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde."