Maratha quota stir | Maharashtra grapples with no solution in sight as Manoj Jarange hardens stand

Mumbai: Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange Patil hardened his stance by announcing that he would stop drinking water from Monday and demanded opening of the Wankhede Stadium for protestors even as as the BJP-led Maha Yuti dispensation grappled with chaos in Mumbai with no immediate solution in sight.

With the fifth day of 11-day Ganeshotsav over on Sunday, when a large number of idols of Lord Ganesh were immersed, people will return to work and the crowd will increase on roads. Besides, people who had gone to their native places will also start returning this week.

“It has been three days that my hunger strike is on…I am telling you that from tomorrow I will stop drinking water…you don’t worry…nothing will happen, we will take reservation…only then I will leave Mumbai,” Jarange Patil told reporters at the Azad Maidan where he is undertaking the sit-in protest.

Besides, Jarange Patil demanded the opening of the Wankhede Stadium and other sporting grounds - which is near the Azad Maidan agitation site - to help the protestors coming from across Maharashtra to park their vehicles and a place where they can take shelter, eat food and rest.

“The vehicles will be secured and also people can take rest in them during the night,” he said.

On the other hand what was extremely serious, the Maratha agitators gheraoed Baramati MP Supriya Sule and targetted her car with empty bottles as she came out of the Azad Maidan and raised slogans against her father and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar.

While Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was in Mumbai, his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who were in Satara and Pune, respectively, are returning to Mumbai.

In a related development, state Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who is head of the 12-member Cabinet sub-committee on issues involving the Maratha community, held a series of meetings and a briefing session with Advocate General Dr Birendra Saraf and Justice Sandeep Shinde (Retd), who heads the committee which was mandated to issue caste certificates and caste validity certificates for the Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi, and Kunbi-Maratha castes to eligible members of the Maratha community.

“We want reservation from Marathas…that too under the category of OBCs…it is completely legal and fully within the framework of Constitution,” said Jarange Patil, however, requested the protesters to cooperate with the police and administration.

“He said parking lots have been created in Vashi, Sewree and Masjid Bunder…protestors should not come to Azad Maidan in vehicles…they must park vehicles in designated areas and take local trains to come to Azad Maidan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vikhe-Patil said that the Maha Yuti government under Fadnavis’ leadership is making all efforts to resolve the issue, however, accused the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of trying to derive political mileage out of the protests

“The Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers were discussed in detail in the meeting meeting,” he said.

He also said that there is no reason to object to anyone going to meet Jarange Patil. “However, Jarange Patil should ask questions sometimes and demand that they clarify their position regarding reservation,” he said.

On Pawar’s statement on resolving the reservation issue by amending the Constitution, Vikhe Patil said, "Why didn't Pawar, who was the Chief Minister of the state four times, realise this before setting up the Mandal Commission? Why didn't he think of including the Maratha community in it at that time? The issue of Maratha reservation has not arisen today."

"He was a minister at the Center for ten years (when the Congress-led UPA was in power). He should have commented on whether or not reservation can be given to the Maratha community from OBCs, and not just do the work of imparting knowledge."

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Police has extended the permission to protest at Azad Maidan by a day.