New Delhi: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday threatened to go on another indefinite hunger strike from Feb 10 if the state government did not convert the draft notification into an Act for the Maratha community to avail reservation benefits under OBC quota and sought a special Assembly session to enact the law.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Jarange said, "It is much needed to sit on indefinite hunger strike again...It is the government's responsibility to implement the law for the reservation...This law is very important for the Maratha Community...I will be going on an indefinite hunger strike from 10th Feb...I will thank CM and both DCM only after getting the complete reservation".
He further added, "This is the first time in the last 70 years Maratha Community got strong law for the reservation...We had planned to march to Mumbai...When we get the certificate of reservation we will hold a Vijay rally and that day will be celebrated as maha Diwali", as per ANI.
Maharashtra | Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil says, "This is the first time in the last 70 years Maratha Community got strong law for the reservation...We had planned to march to Mumbai...When we get the certificate of reservation we will hold a Vijay rally and… pic.twitter.com/1g90a98fwi
— ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2024
Earlier, Jarange also spoke about the lathi-charge by police on his supporters at Antarwali Sarati village last September and called it a "blot on the quota agitation", as per PTI. Asked whether the lathicharge by police on September 1, 2023, at Antarwali Sarati, his native village in Jalna district, was a turning point in the agitation that made it bigger, Jarange said, "We can not call it a turning point as we did not want reservation at the cost of bruises suffered by our mothers and sisters", reported PTI.