Maratha quota stir: Manoj Jarange Patil to withdraw hunger strike, gives one month to Maharashtra govt

Making the announcement on Tuesday, Jarange Patil also laid down a few other conditions, including withdrawal of cases registered against Maratha protesters, guarantee on providing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas after 30 days, suspension of police officials who issued orders to lathicharge Maratha protesters in Jalna on September 1, a written assurance from the government on the quota issue, and the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies at the time of breaking his fast.

While consulting members of his community on the decision to discontinue the hunger strike, Jarange Patil said, “We have waited for 40 years. Our experts also said it takes time for the procedure (of giving reservations) to be completed… we will call the government and give them time. But if our demands are not fulfilled, we will again start the protest from the 31st day.”

Last week, the state government, under pressure from protesters, issued a Government Resolution on Maratha reservation, stating that it has decided to provide Kunbi caste certificates to all Marathas from Marathwada, who possess revenue and educational records dating back to the Nizam-era, and other supporting documents to prove their genealogy.

The government also set up a five-member committee, headed by Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde, to prepare a standard operating procedure (SOP) for issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas and a framework for the verification of genealogy documents within a month.

Jarange Patil, however, did not accept the resolution and urged the government to relax the condition of furnishing genealogy documents.

The protest for Maratha reservation led by Jarange Patil started at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district on August 29. However, the protest took a political turn with the Opposition parties condeming the BJP-Shinde Sena government after police lathicharged protesters in Jalna.

Opposition leaders, who rushed to the protest site, accused the government of using unnecessary force and prompted the government to send the superintendent of police on leave, while suspending his subordinate officer.

Amid demands of resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is in charge of the state Home department, issued an apology on behalf of the government on September 4.