Talks with govt fail, Manoj Jarange’s Maratha quota protest continues for third day

Activist Manoj Jaranges hunger strike in Mumbai to press for Maratha quota continued for the third day on Sunday a day after the 43yearold gave a cold shoulder to a government delegation which met him at Azad Maidan reported news agency PTIMumbai Police on Saturday extended permission for Jaranges protest by another dayTraffic in and around the Azad Maidan protest venue was hampered on Saturday with the sea of protesters making the movement of vehicles difficult Some protesters were even seen bathing on the roads reported PTIThe Maratha leader 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 community to hold talks with himIt is not Justice Shindes job to issue a Government Resolution GR announcing grant of reservation to Marathas Jarange said on Saturday vowing to continue the agitation reported PTIWhile Fadnavis has said 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 reported PTIThe BJPled government on Saturday deputed a delegation led by Justice Shinde to hold talks with Jarange as thousands of his supporters who have arrived in the city thronged the nearby Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and the surrounding areaJarange has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas and wants them to be recognised as Kunbis an agrarian caste included in the Other Backward Classes category which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education though OBC leaders are opposed to itThe activist who had launched a hunger strike on seven occasions in the past has claimed this is the communitys final fightAs the delegation met him on Saturday Jarange said the committee headed by Justice Shinde 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 reported PTIMarathas 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 reported PTIJustice 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 addedSpeaking to reporters afterwards Jarange slammed Fadnavis It is not Justice Shindes 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 reported PTIJustice Shinde told reporters that the state cabinet had given inprinciple approval to the Hyderabad GazetteI will go back to the cabinet subcommittee on the Maratha quota issue with details of my discussion with Jarange he added reported PTIJustice 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 communitySpeaking to reporters earlier on Saturday Jarange asked the government not to spread misinformation that the Marathas were seeking reservation from the Other Backward Classes OBC quotaWe are only demanding that we get our rightful share of quota based on the eligibility under the Kunbi category he said reported PTIBefore 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 subcommittee and the government was committed to resolving them positivelyMaratha 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 BMCJarange accused the municipal commissioner and stateappointed BMC administrator Bhushan Gagrani of not making food and water available to the protestersWith inputs from PTI