Maratha quota standoff deepens: Govt scrambles as Jarange’s fast enters Day 3

With activist Manoj Jarange refusing to end his hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, the Maharashtra government is under pressure to decide on Marathas’ demand for OBC status and a 10% quota — a flashpoint that could reshape caste politics in the state.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis late night to discuss the ongoing hunger strike by activist Manoj Jarange in Mumbai to press for Maratha quota, sources said on Sunday.

Vikhe Patil heads a cabinet sub-committee on issues related to the Maratha community's demand for reservation and its social, educational and economic condition.

Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai from Friday over his demand for a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

He has demanded that Marathas be recognised as Kunbis — an agrarian caste included in the OBC category — which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education,

A government-appointed delegation led by retired high court Justice Sandeep Shinde on Saturday met Jarange, who demanded that Marathas in Marathwada be given the Kunbi status and a government resolution (GR) be issued saying Kunbis and Marathas are same.

Justice Shinde heads a committee set up to scrutinise Kunbi records of the Maratha community,

Vikhe Patil met CM Fadnavis late Saturday night to discuss the issue. The meeting lasted for an hour, according to sources.

Senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan was also present at the meet.

The cabinet sub-committee headed by Vikhe Patil will meet again on Sunday.

Jarange on Saturday slammed CM Fadnavis for sending Justice Shinde to hold talks with him.

"It is not Justice Shinde's job to issue a GR announcing grant of reservation to Marathas," Jarange said, vowing to continue the agitation.

Fadnavis has said the government was trying to find a solution to the issue within the constitutional and legal framework.