Jarange sets deadline for Maratha quota demands; warns of indefinite fast in Mum

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange said on Wednesday he would launch an indefinite fast in Mumbai from August 29 if the state govt failed to implement the pending demands related to Maratha quota by August 28.
He said he would either arrive with a "victory chariot" or a "funeral procession".
Reacting sharply to Jarange's announcement, OBC activist Laxman Hake said the day Jarange heads to Mumbai, "we will break a coconut before Khandoba in Malegaon (Nanded) and start our own long march to Mumbai."
He said the govt should stop focusing on Jarange and instead concentrate on safeguarding OBC reservation. "It was the OBC community that had helped bring this govt back to power. The state must not compromise the rights of backward classes under any pressure," he said.
There has been increasing tension between Maratha and OBC groups over Jarange pressing for inclusion of Marathas as Kunbis under the OBC category, while OBC leaders staunchly opposed the move, calling it a direct threat to their share of quota benefits.
Jarange, while speaking to newspersons, accused the state govt of betraying the Maratha community. "It's been two years and we've shown enough patience. The govt promised to implement four of our key demands immediately after the last fast. Three months have passed, and not a single demand has been fulfilled. We now have no choice but to come to Mumbai. The time for compromise is over," he told reporters.
He warned of a largescale protest in Mumbai, stating that the indefinite fast would be launched from either Azad Maidan or outside Mantralaya. "Start preparing now. We are not returning this time," he told Maratha community members.
Jarange took aim at chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal, saying, "Give us what is rightfully ours. Do not deny us our rights even if others oppose it." In a direct warning to Fadnavis, he said, "Don't act out of arrogance. Even Congress ruled for decades and was unseated. People remember betrayal. Power doesn't last forever."
Among the list of demands made by Jarange are issuance of caste certificates based on 58 lakh historical Kunbi records found, immediate enforcement of ‘sage soyre' (blood relatives) notification, promulgation of ordinance declaring Marathas and Kunbis as one and the same, withdrawal of all police cases filed against protesters, implementation of Hyderabad Gazette for quota eligibility, and free education for girls across all castes.
He alleged that officials were deliberately delaying or denying certificates. "One boy lost his admission due to this delay. This is sabotage," Jarange claimed. He demanded strict action against negligent or biased officials.
Jarange also appealed to the Maratha community not to be disheartened. "All I ask is that people drop me in Mumbai on August 28. I am ready to fight for the future of our children," he said. He stated that he would announce the final protest roadmap on August 1, with preparations already underway.