Fulfil Maratha quota demand by January 5 or face fresh agitation: Activist Jarange

A day after a new government took charge in Maharashtra, activist Manoj Jarange on Friday said a fresh round of agitation will be launched post-January 5 if demands of the Maratha community, including job quota under OBC category, are not fulfilled.

Jarange, who undertook multiple rounds of hunger strike during the previous Eknath Shinde-led government, asserted his community was firm on its demands. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his two deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath on December 5 (Thursday), ushering in the Mahayuti 2.0 government.

"They (Fadnavis, Shinde and Pawar) took oath yesterday (December 5). If they don't address the demands of the Maratha community in the next one month (by January 5), we will declare a fresh date for our agitation," the quota activist warned.


Jarange has been demanding implementation of a draft notification that recognises Kunbis as 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and granting reservation in jobs and education to the latter under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He also wants withdrawal of police cases lodged against community members during agitations spearheaded by him. Asked about the new BJP-led government in the state, he said nothing has changed as same political parties have come back to power after last month's assembly polls.

"The (quota) agitation was against the earlier government. The rulers are the same who were before the elections. We are firm on our demands...now the government should decide on them," noted the 42-year-old activist. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category.

However, Jarange has been insisting on quota to the community under the OBC head.