Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange Announces 'Rasta Roko' Across Maharashtra On March 3 Over 'Sage Soyare'

Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange has claimed that the bill providing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community would not stand legal scrutiny.

Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange has announced a statewide 'Rasta Roko' agitation on March 3.

Source : PTI

Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday announced a statewide 'Rasta Roko' agitation on March 3 to demand implementation of 'Sage Soyare' ordinance notification.

Jarange has claimed that the bill providing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community would not stand legal scrutiny and reiterated his demand that the Maharashtra government's draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas be converted into a law.

Jarange continued his hunger strike demanding the implementation of 'Sage Soyare' (relatives from the family tree). Speaking to reporters at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, Jarange said a meeting of the Maratha community members will be held in the afternoon after which further course of action will be decided.

Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil announces statewide 'Rasta Roko' on 3rd March to demand implementation of 'Sage Soyare' ordinance notification https://t.co/2lcs8oCStT

— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2024

The Maharashtra legislature has unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category during a one-day special session on Tuesday.

However, Manoj Jarange refused to end his protest even after the Maharashtra Assembly passed the Maratha reservation bill. He has been firm on his demand for quota for the community under the OBC head. 

Manoj Jarange has also appealed the Election Commission to postpone elections until the demands for reservation are met.

He has appealed to the leaders not to come to the houses for asking votes. He has further said that there will be statewide agitation in Maharashtra since February 24. 

He also said that senior citizens should be included in the agitation. If any older people dies during the protests, the government would be responsible for his death, he added.

A substantial number of castes and groups are already placed in the reserved category, getting about 52 per cent of reservations altogether. 

It would be completely inequitable to place the Maratha community in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, the bill said.

As per the draft notification issued by the state government last month, if a Maratha person has proof to show that he or she belongs to the Kunbi caste, the person’s blood relatives too would be recognised as Kunbi.

Kunbis fall under the OBC category and get quota benefits. The scrutiny of the draft notification issued last month for granting certificates to “extended blood relatives” of Kunbi Marathas is currently underway as 6 lakh objections have been received, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told the legislative assembly on Tuesday.

Jarange on Wednesday said the government issued a draft notification (earlier this month) for giving quota to the relatives of Marathas. But it didn't implement it and no discussion took place over it in the special session of the assembly. 

"People still have faith in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He should accept that the oath (on granting reservation) he took earlier is still incomplete. He should tell the hurdles in implementing the quota for relatives (of Marathas)," he said.   

Jarange claimed the government would have regretted its decision of 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community because no one celebrated in the state after it was announced.