Pro-Maratha quota activist Jarange-Patil, supporters reach Mumbai for indefinite fast; police issue traffic advisory

Mumbai, Aug 29 (IANS) Manoj Jarange-Patil and a large number of his supporters reached Mumbai and will assemble at Azad Maidan to launch the pro-Maratha quota activist's indefinite strike demanding a slew of reservations for the Maratha community from the OBC quota.  

Mumbai Police granted Manoj Jarange-Patil permission to hold the agitation at Azad Maidan for a day from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. but he has rejected it as "unacceptable" and has decided to sit for an indefinite period until the government accepts his demands.

Mumbai Police has issued a traffic advisory for the commuters to help them in traffic management in the wake of the entry of a large number of Jarange-Patil’s supporters into the city.

Jarange-Patil was given a grand welcome in Mankhurd, Chembur as a convoy of hundreds of vehicles and Maratha protesters arrived in Mumbai.

On the other hand, Azad Maidan, where the police have given permission for the agitation, is packed full to its capacity as a mark of support to Jarange-Patil.

Jarange-Patil has demanded that Maratha and Kunbi being one community, the government should provide them benefits under the OBC quota. He has also demanded that the government should provide reservation to the Maratha community which will pass the test of law and sustain in future too.

He has also asked that the police immediately withdraw cases filed in different parts of Maharashtra against pro-Maratha quota activists as announced earlier by the state government.

However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has clarified that reservation to the Maratha community will not be possible from the OBC quota citing that there are already 350 castes among the OBCs.

He also said that the state government has already provide 10 per cent separate reservation to the Maratha community.

“Suppose if we look at medical admissions, the cutoff of OBCs is above SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward Classes) and the cutoff of SEBCs is above EWSs. If we look at the statistics carefully, we will realise what is in the interest of the Maratha community. It is also the responsibility of the leaders of the Maratha community to study the interests of the Maratha community and make demands. Political reservation will not be provided. If there is social or job reservation, then it can be considered,” said CM Fadnavis.

“In a democracy, we have the right to raise our issues and protest. As long as any protest is conducted in a democratic manner, we have no problem. We will solve the problem through discussion. One thing is for sure, reservation has been given to the Maratha community,” said the Chief Minister.

On Jarange-Patil’s resolve to hold an indefinite fast, CM Fadnavis said, “Our expectation is that no protest should go outside the framework of democracy. If the protest is carried out by following the rules and norms, we have nothing to say.”

--IANS

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