New Delhi: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Friday made a new demand, urging the Maharashtra government to revise its free education policy to include all Marathas until reservation benefits are extended to the entire community.
Jarange warned that if their demands were not fulfilled by tonight, he along with his supporters will enter Mumbai on Saturday for their planned protest at Azad Maidan ground, reported news agency PTI.
Speaking at a rally at Shivaji Chowk in the Vashi area of neighbouring Navi Mumbai where he arrived with thousands of supporters, the activist said that he would stay in Navi Mumbai for the day.
"I am taking a step backward," he stated, adding that he had stopped having food from Friday and was taking only water.
“If an ordinance (to meet his various demands) is not promulgated tonight, I will come to Mumbai tomorrow,” he stated, adding “I will take decision on going to Azad Maidan (in Mumbai) tomorrow at noon. Once I set out, there will be no turning back."
Jarange's primary demand revolves around amending the free education policy so that boys also get free education besides girls, and all Marathas should get free education “from KG to PG” (kindergarten to post-graduation) until the entire community gets reservation, the PTI report added.
Additionally, he sought data of the 37 lakh Kunbi certificates issued by the state government. Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, and Jarange has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas.
“The government has told me that 54 lakh Kunbi records (records showing that a Maratha person/family belongs to Kunbi community) have been found, of which 37 lakh certificates have been given. Who are these people? We need data,” he said, as per the PTI report.
“More than two crore Marathas will get OBC certificates after Kunbi records are found,” Jarange.
The government has been trying to persuade Jarange not to proceed to Mumbai, sending delegations to hold talks with him. State education minister Deepak Kesarkar told reporters earlier in the day that Jarange’s demands had been accepted, and would be fulfilled as per government procedure.