Jarange's hunger strike continues on 2nd day as talks with govt fail to yield solution

Mumbai, Aug 30 (PTI) Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange on Saturday demanded that the Marathas in Marathwada be declared as belonging to the Kunbi caste and given reservation, as his talks with a government delegation ended inconclusively on the second day of his hunger strike here.

He also slammed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for sending retired High Court judge Sandeep Shinde, who heads a committee set up to expedite the process of granting reservation to the Marathas, to hold talks with him at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

"It is not Justice Shinde's job to issue a Government Resolution (GR) announcing grant of reservation to Marathas," Jarange said, vowing to continue the agitation. Azad Maidan Police, meanwhile, extended the permission for the agitation by another day.

While CM Fadnavis reiterated that the government was trying to find a solution within the constitutional and legal framework, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar said a constitutional amendment to raise the cap on overall reservation was necessary.

The BJP-led Maharashtra government deputed a delegation led by Justice Shinde to hold talks with Jarange, as thousands of his supporters who have arrived in the city continued to throng the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the surrounding area, causing traffic jams.

Jarange has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the OBC category. He wants Marathas to be recognised as Kunbis -- an agrarian caste included in the OBC category -- which will make them eligible for reservation, though OBC leaders are opposed to it.

Jarange, who had launched a hunger strike on seven occasions in the past, has said this was the community's "final fight" to get reservation.

As the delegation met him, Jarange said the committee headed by Shinde had studied gazettes related to the issue for the past 13 months and now it was time for it to submit its report to pave the way for Marathas to get Kunbi status.

"Marathas in Marathwada must be declared as Kunbis and given reservation. The Hyderabad and Satara gazettes must be made into law for this," Jarange said during the talks which were telecast live on Marathi news channels.

Justice Shinde said he was not authorised to give such a report, and it was the job of the Backward Class commission. "Caste certificate is given to individuals and not the entire community," the former judge added.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Jarange slammed CM Fadnavis for deputing Shinde to hold talks with him. "It is not Justice Shinde's job to issue GR (government resolution) declaring that Marathas and Kunbis as the same. It is an insult of the government, Raj Bhavan and state to send Justice Shinde here," he said.

Shinde told reporters that the state cabinet had given in-principle approval to the Hyderabad Gazette. "I will go back to the cabinet sub-committee (on the Maratha quota issue) with details of my discussion with Jarange," he added.

Justice Shinde heads the committee formed in September 2023 by the then Eknath Shinde government to decide the methodology for issuing 'Kunbi' caste certificates to members of the Maratha community.

Speaking to reporters in the morning, Jarange asked the government not to spread misinformation that the Marathas were seeking reservation from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.

"We are only demanding that we get our rightful share of quota based on the eligibility under the Kunbi category," he said.

Before the government delegation met Jarange, state minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said the issues raised by the Maratha leader were discussed in detail in the cabinet sub-committee, and the government was committed to resolving them positively.

Maratha protesters at Azad Maidan, meanwhile, complained about the lack of basic amenities such as water and toilets. The protest site is located right opposite Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Jarange accused the municipal commissioner and state-appointed BMC administrator Bhushan Gagrani of not making food and water available to the protesters.

"The BMC has an administrator, and under the influence of the chief minister, he has stopped food and water for protesters. We won't forget this. You have closed public toilets and hotels. Let's see how many days you harass poor Marathas," he said.

Reacting to it, Vikhe Patil said, "We have discussed complaints of lack of water and sanitation for protesters with CM Fadnavis, and the issues are being resolved." The BMC on Saturday afternoon claimed that it had put two truckloads of gravel in Azad Maidan, which has become muddy because of rains, and provided necessary amenities.

Puddles of muddy water at the protest site have been cleared and two truckloads of gravel have been spread. Regular cleaning is being carried out at the site by sanitation workers and a medical help desk has been set up to provide healthcare services, it said.

Speaking in Ahilyanagar, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar said that as many as 80 percent Marathas are dependent on farming, but agriculture alone cannot secure their future, making reservations the only option.

The Supreme Court has imposed a 52 per cent cap on reservations, but the court ratified 72 percent quota in Tamil Nadu, Pawar pointed out. He has been holding discussions with other MPs about the need for a constitutional amendment, he added. PTI MR DC KK ND PR VT ARU BNM NP NR KRK