The Maratha reservation movement entered the fourth day on Monday at Azad Maidan in Mumbai. Activist Manoj Jarange, who is leading the protest, vowed to stop drinking water from Monday and said that he can also eat “bullet” for his demands.Jarange has been on indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai since Friday to demand 10 percent reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Taking a pledge to stop drinking water, social worker Manoj Jarage said that he is also ready to eat “bullets” to give reservation to the Maratha community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He has demanded the government to issue a government order on the basis of reservation, based on the records available from the government.
The Maharashtra government on Sunday said that it would take legal opinion to implement Hyderabad Gazetteer for the Maratha community to grant the status of Kunbi (an OBC). However, Jarange was not affected by this and he said that until his demands are met, he would not withdraw from the dharna site at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, even if Devendra Fadnavis government would fire the protesters. He has been on an indefinite fast at Azad Maidan since Friday for his demand for 10 percent reservation for the Marathas in the OBC category.
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Jarang said on Sunday that he would not leave Mumbai until his demands are met. He said, “The government has a record of 58 lakh Marathas and Kunbis.” The social worker told his supporters, “I will stop drinking water from tomorrow (Monday) because the government is not accepting the demands. But until the demand for reservation is met, I will not go back. We will be providing reservation to the Marathas under the OBC category, whatever happens.
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Jarang said in a press conference on Sunday night, “The government should say that Maratha is a sub -caste of kunbis. 58 lakh records have been found, which connect the Marathas to the kunbis. Those who want reservation will take it. If there is a legal issue, do not normalize the Marathas as a clan.
He claimed that no one can stop the Marathas from getting reservation under the OBC category. The police have warned the drivers about the interruptions in the morning in the morning with the Maratha protesters accumulated in Azad Maidan and various areas of Azad Maidan and surrounding areas and reopen the government and private offices on Monday.
Mumbai Traffic Police posted on its official social media handle, “Azad Maidan: Due to the ongoing agitation, traffic may remain slow while going towards South Mumbai tomorrow (Monday) and sometimes disruption. Keep following the instructions given at traffic intersections. ”
Traders have also expressed concern over the ongoing Maratha movement and demanded intervention from the government or High Court to restore the general situation and to protect businesses from long -term damage in South Mumbai. Viren Shah, president of the ‘Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association’, said that the huge crowd at Azad Maidan has completely disturbed South Mumbai and weekend sales in shops and markets have been affected. He said, “It seems that Mumbai has been taken hostage.”
Before the civic elections, the government, entangled in political stakes, said that the cabinet sub-committee would take a legal opinion for the Marathas to implement Hyderabad Gazetteer, which was a major demand for Jarange. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Minister of the Chief State, the Chief State Minister of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Maratha reservation issue, presided over two meetings here on the reservation issue here. Addressing media persons after the sub-committee meeting, Vikhe Patil said that Advocate General Biren Saraf and Retired Judge Sandeep Shinde of the High Court told the committee that they need time to study whether Hyderabad and Satara Gazetteer can be implemented as per the demand for Jarang.
He said, “I will meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and inform him about the discussions made by the sub-committee. There is a comment from the Supreme Court regarding recognition of the Marathas as a clan. We cannot deny the Supreme Court’s comment (that Maratha and Kunbi are not one). We are ready for discussion. ”Amid political allegations and counter-allegations, Maratha protesters on Sunday stopped the car of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule and raised slogans against party chief Sharad Pawar.
Sule came to meet Jarang at her picket site. Sule demanded the Maharashtra government to call a special session of the State Legislature and an all -party meeting to resolve the controversial issue of Maratha reservation. Meanwhile, the TV Journalist Association has complained to Jarange that some of his supporters allegedly abused women journalists at Azad Maidan. The organization approved that if such incidents continue to happen, the media would boycott this movement.
On Sunday, there was a fierce dispute on the issue of reservation between the ruling Mahayuti and the leaders of opposition parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders targeted NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, who said a day earlier that constitution amendment is necessary to remove the “52 percent limit” imposed on reservation by the Supreme Court. Opposing OBC reservation, NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal has called a meeting of OBC leaders.