Maratha leader's ultimatum on quota puts govt in tight spot

The Maharashtra government is caught between a rock and a hard place over the Maratha reservation issue, which has been escalating ever since 41-year-old local Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil started his hunger strike on August 29. Jarange Patil has now given an ultimatum to the government to provide Maratha reservations under the OBC category within four days.

Manoj Jarange Patil, whose hunger strike at Antarvali village in Jalna has stirred Maratha emotions across the state, told a delegation of Maharashtra ministers and leaders on Tuesday that he would not end his protest till the Marathas from Marathwada region were given reservations by recognising them as Kunbis, a caste recognised as OBCs. The OBC community is keenly watching the developments and any move to confer OBC status on the Marathas is likely to lead to protests by the OBC communities in the state. "I was supposed to stop drinking water from today. However, on the government's request, I'm giving them four more days. I will stop drinking water as well as stop taking saline after four days," said Jarange Patil.

The development came after Maharashtra BJP minister Girish Mahajan, Shiv Sena minister Sandeepan Bhumre, along with Shiv Sena leader Arjun Khotkar, met Jarange Patil and sought a month's time to give reservation to the community. The Maratha leader however refused to end his fast or give a month's time to the government saying that the community has waited for long for the reservation and was not prepared to wait anymore.