Maratha Reservation: 'Will Quit Drinking Water If...'— Activist Jarange's Ultimatum To State Govt

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarang has warned to quit drinking water from Wednesday evening if a special session of state assembly is not called to declare the reservation.

Activist Manoj Jarange has vowed that he will quit drinking water from Wednesday evening if his demand for reservation to the Maratha community is not fulfilled by the Maharashtra government. Leaders of all the parties should ask the Maharashtra government to call a special session of the state legislative assembly and give reservation to the Maratha community, demanded Jarange who is observing fast at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district since October 25. 

An all-party meeting has been called by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday in Mumbai to dicuss the situation amid the intesified agitation for the demand of Maratha quota which took a violent turn in some parts of the state. 

Shinde will apprise opposition leaders of the government's plans to handle the situation and seek their support, an official in the Chief Minister's Office earlier said, according to PTI. 

"Leaders of all parties who are in Mumbai should ask the state government to call a special session of the state assembly and declare Maratha reservation. If this is not done, I will quit drinking water from Wednesday evening. The agitation will not stop and will continue peacefully," Jarange said while speaking to reporters. 

The Maratha quota activist also noted that some demonstrators were detained by the police at Kej in the violence-hit Beed district, but have now been released. "I will still take a review of this," he said.

Jarange also lashed out some of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders over their statements on the issue. "The leaders should not speak now on the issue. They speak sweetly to us but register offences against agitators. That is why the BJP is on decline," he said.

He also said that there was anger amongst the people over the suspension of internet services in the districts of Beed and Jalna after the violence that took place over the demand for Maratha quota. 

"You are destroying the career of Maratha youth. But destroying your career is in the hands of the Maratha community," Jarange claimed targeting leaders in the government.