Daijiworld Media Network - Beed
Beed, Sep 17: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday called off his 20-day hunger strike in Beed and gave the Maharashtra government three months to act on his demands, warning that he would take the agitation to Mumbai if they were not addressed within the deadline.
Jarange announced the decision after meeting a government delegation at Patoda in Beed district. The delegation included ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Dada Bhuse, MLC Prasad Lad, MLA Suresh Dhas and senior officials.
Jarange had begun his march from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district and halted at Patoda while heading towards Mumbai. During the meeting, the government representatives briefed him on the steps initiated on the Maratha quota issue.
Vikhe Patil urged Jarange to end his hunger strike and proposed that he appoint three representatives to monitor the progress of the official process concerning his demands. He said it could take around three to four months to act on the Kolhapur and Satara gazettes after receiving the Advocate General's written comments.
Jarange reiterated his demand for official recognition of historical administrative records, including the Hyderabad, Satara and Aundh Gazettes, to enable Marathas to establish Kunbi lineage and seek benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
He also sought a written assurance that no Kunbi records would be excluded, with the document to be signed by the chief minister.
Jarange warned that if the government failed to act within three months, he would take the agitation to Mumbai. He also appealed to the more than one lakh Maratha supporters who had travelled towards Mumbai to return home for the time being.
The activist had been scheduled to reach Mumbai on September 19 after passing through Ahilyanagar, Pune and Khopoli in Raigad district. His latest decision temporarily halts the planned march following the talks with the state government.
The development comes days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government would not tolerate intimidating tactics and questioned the timing of the agitation during the ongoing Ganesh festival.