Maharashtra OBCs end strike after Devendra Fadnavis' assurance

Other backward caste (OBC) communities in Maharashtra called off their agitation on Saturday after the state government promised that the Maratha community would not be given reservation under the OBC category.

OBC leaders have been carrying out an indefinite hunger strike in Chandrapur for the last 19 days, seeking a guarantee from the government would not give the Kunbi caste certificate to the Marathas from the Marathwada region.

The strike was withdrawn after deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met the OBC leaders and assured them that the government would not give a "blanket reservation" to the Maratha community that would shrink the OBC quota.


"Chief minister Eknath Shinde has clearly conveyed that under any circumstances the reservations for the OBC category would not be reduced," Fadnavis said. "The OBC community has a suspicion that their reservations would be reduced, due to other communities being included in it; however, this is unfounded."

The OBC communities have been carrying out agitations throughout the state for almost 21 days now after the state government persuaded Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil - who was on a hunger strike for 19 days in August- September seeking reservation for the Marathas - to end his protest.