Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange firm on launching fast in Mumbai

Pune: Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday said members of the Maratha community will show their strength in Mumbai on January 26 and reiterated that he would sit on an indefinite hunger strike for the reservation demand.

Jarange set out on a march towards Mumbai from Jalna district on January 20 with thousands of supporters joining him en route. He reached Pune district on Tuesday.

"About 2 crore to 2.5 crore people from the Maratha community will come to Mumbai. Marathas will show their strength on January 26," he told reporters.

Jarange has been demanding the issuance of a blanket Kunbi (OBC) caste certificate to all Marathas in the state.

"The divisional commissioner from Marathwada has come (to meet me) on behalf of the government, but I reiterated my demand that Marathas be given a quota under the OBC grouping," he said.

Jarange, aged around 40, said he would launch an indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai even if the government denied him permission.

"I am ready to sacrifice my life. If they try to kill me, not a single road in Maharashtra will remain open. I won't go back without securing the reservation for the Maratha community," he added.

Jarange received a rousing welcome during his march which reached Shikrapur in Pune district with people queuing up to garland him and shouting slogans in his support.

At least 15,000 people were accompanying Jarange in Shikrapur with a convoy of about 750 vehicles, police said.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements as the march led by Jarange will pass through Pune on the way to Mumbai.

Jarange had held fast-unto-death protests on two occasions in the past for the Maratha quota demand, forcing the government to set up a committee to look into the OBC antecedents of members of the Maratha community from Marathwada region.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently announced a survey by the State Backward Classes Commission to assess the educational, social and financial backwardness of the Maratha community.

The Supreme Court had quashed the Maharashtra law granting reservations to Marathas in admissions and government jobs in 2021.

The state government had filed a curative petition in the apex court against the judgement, which is slated to come up for a hearing.