Maratha quota stir
Mumbai, Aug 31: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has vowed to stop drinking water from the third day of his hunger strike on Monday and brave “bullets” for reservation under the OBC category, escalating his confrontation with the Devendra Fadnavis government.
For its part, the state government on Sunday said it will seek a legal opinion on implementing the Hyderabad gazetteer on the Kunbi status – an OBC caste – for the Maratha community.
Jarange, however, remained unimpressed and said he won’t budge from the protest venue in Azad Maidan till his demands are met, even if the Fadnavis government fires bullets at protesters.
He demanded that the government issue a GR on the Maratha reservation based on available records.
“The government should say that Marathas are a sub-caste of Kunbis. There are 58 lakh records that have been found, which show links of Marathas as Kunbis. Those who want a reservation will take it. Don’t generalise Marathas as Kunbis if there is a legal issue,” Jarange told a press conference on Sunday night.
He said no one can stop Marathas from getting reservations under the OBC category.
The Kunbi community is associated with agriculture-related occupations and is grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Forced to do a political tightrope ahead of civic elections, the government said the cabinet sub-committee will seek a legal view on implementing the Hyderabad gazetteer regarding the Kunbi status for Marathas, which was a key demand of Jarange.
Thousands of members of the Maratha community are camping on footpaths, vehicles, Azad Maidan, and CSMT platforms.
The BMC has deployed 800 sanitation workers to maintain cleanliness and arrangements, and also made arrangements for over 300 toilets for protesters.
Opposing dilution of OBC quota, NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal has convened a meeting of OBC leaders. (PTI)
