Maratha activist Manoj Jarange launched an indefinite fast on Saturday demanding implementation of the draft notifiඣcation that recognises as Kunbis all blood relatives of Maratha c🍸ommunity members.
He also sought framing of a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas, and warned of fielding candidates from all 288 assembly seaཧts in Maharashtra in the upcoming state polls if his demands were not approved.
Jarange lauཧnched the fresh round of agitation at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Ambad tehsil of Maharashtra's Jalna district around 10.30 am even as the district administration and th♏e police authorities have denied permission for it.
He has been demanding Other Backward Community (OBC) tag for the Marathas and implementatio🐓n of the draft notification issued by the state government earlier this year for issuing certificates to blood relatives of eligible Kunbi Marathas.
Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the OBC category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quot𒉰a benefits.
"I will not give up until the Maratha reservation is granted," Jarange, the face of the quota agita🦋tion, asserted.
He accused the state government of trying to stall his protest by inciting the residents of Antarwali Sarati🌺.
A section of villagers earlier submitted a memorandum to the district administration, urging it to not grant permiss🐓ion to Jarange's protest in the village, citing a potential threat to communal harmony.
Jarange urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address the Maratha reservation issue.
"If the demand for Maratha reservation is not fulfilled, I will field candidates from various communities from all 288 assembly segments in the state in the upcoming state elections,🅰" he said, adding that personally he would stay away from electoral politics.
Jarange said the draft notification on the 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) of the Kunbi Marathas be implemented and a law should be framed to i🐼dentify Kunbis as Marathas.
He said the Maratha commun🌞ity🃏 will hold CM Shinde and deputy CM Fadnavis in high regard if the reservation demand is met.
Before this, 😼Jarange had held the agitation over the quota issue between February 10 and 26.
On February 20ꦛ, the Maharashtra legislature on Tuesdayไ unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the activist ♓clai♊med that 57 lakh documents, which prove that Marathas and Kunbis are the same, have been received.
He said that once the target of Maratha reseꦦrvation is achieved, he would launch a fight to get quota for Dhangar and Muslim 🐻communities as well.
On whether the Maratha reservation issue impacted the candidates in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, he said his community showed its stre💞ngth in these polls✨.
He denied the allegation that BJP leader P♏ankaja Munde lost the election from Beed because of his appeal to the community members.
He said that he neither supported nor opposed any party. "I💮 did not favour any candidate nor was against anyone in the Lok Sabha election," he said.
Accusing CM Shinde and deputy CM Fadnavis of obstructing the Maratha reservation process, Jarange alleged that Fadnavis conspired against the Marath🍃a community.
