Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange reached Pune on his way to Mumbai to launch a fresh agitation. He urged CM Devendra Fadnavis to accept the community’s demand for a 10% reservation under the OBC category, calling it a chance to win their trust. Jarange will begin an indefinite fast at Azad Maidan as protests intensify.
Activist Manoj Jarange. Image/ File Pic
Activist Manoj Jarange, continuing his fight against the government over the Maratha quota issue, has reached Pune. Upon his arrival in Pune, the activist said this is the "right opportunity" for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to win over the hearts of Maratha community members by accepting their demand for reservation.
Activist Manoj Jarange, ahead of the launch of his fresh round of agitation in Mumbai on Friday for the Maratha quota, had also claimed that, by giving permission to hold the protest for just one day in Mumbai, the government was "insulting" him and the entire Maratha community.
The 43-year-old activist Jarange headed towards Mumbai from his native village, Antarwali Sarati, in the Jalna district on Wednesday.
As reported by news agency ANI, the activist reached Shivneri Fort, the birthplace of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in Junnar tehsil of the adjoining Pune district, along with hundreds of supporters on Thursday morning.
Jarange, who has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, also came forward and expressed that he will be reaching the state’s capital, Mumbai, by Thursday evening and starting his indefinite fast at Azad Maidan.
Jarange, while talking to the media, also said that, "I would like to once again reiterate my appeal to Chief Minister Fadnavis Saheb that this is the right opportunity for him to win over the hearts of the Maratha community by implementing its demands," as cited by news agency ANI.
He further added that, "If you fulfil the demands, the Maratha community members will not forget you till their last breath. Time has not lapsed yet. You are not our enemy. We urge you to give up the adamant stand towards the Maratha community."
Notably, a senior inspector of the Azad Maidan police station in Mumbai has written a letter to the activist, granting him permission. The permission by the inspector was granted in response to an application submitted by the protesters to stage peaceful protests at the ground on August 29 between 9 am and 6 pm. The letter submitted to the Azad Nagar inspector also stated that all the protesters will head back after 6 pm after the protest is over.
The letter also said that, “After entering Mumbai, from Wadi Bunder Junction, only five vehicles of main protestors can head to Azad Maidan, and the number of protestors there should not cross 5,000.”
(With inputs from ANI)
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