Mumbai News Highlights: As Shinde govt expands Kunbi status for Marathas, OBCs ready to take fight to court

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange said the agitation will continue until members of the community start receiving benefits under the Maharashtra government's proposed notification, a day after he called off the protest in Navi Mumbai.

Jarange is facing criticism from certain sections which claimed that the government had given him only a draft proposal and not a formal notification.

Jarange called off his indefinite fast for the Maratha quota after the government accepted his demands, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get the reservation, they will be given all the benefits enjoyed by the OBCs.

Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who has questioned the "backdoor entry" of Marathas into the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, said he was not satisfied with the state government's decision on the reservation issue.

Bhujbal also claimed that Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde, who heads a committee set up to find Kunbi records of Marathas, was getting almost double the salary drawn by the Chief Justice of India and called it an unnecessary expenditure. Bhujbal on Saturday criticised the government's move over the quota issue and questioned the "backdoor entry" of Marathas into the OBC category.

Speaking to reporters in Nashik, Bhujbal said, "The OBCs are having a feeling that they have lost their reservations as Marathas will take the benefits." The minister said he supports giving a separate reservation to Marathas, but not sharing the existing OBC quota with them.

"Because once they become a part of the existing reservations for OBCs, only they will get the benefits," he claimed.

"Whatever the chief minister is saying, does not satisfy our mind," said the minister who belongs to the NCP (Ajit Pawar group).
Bhujbal also expressed his disapproval over the continuation of the Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde committee set up to find Kunbi records of Marathas.

"As per my information, the Chief Justice of India gets Rs 2.80 lakh salary, whereas (Justice) Shinde and the committee get Rs 4.50 lakh each. Why so much of expenditure is going on?" he asked.

Union minister Narayan Rane said he does not agree with the Maharashtra government's decision to give all benefits enjoyed by the OBCs to Marathas till they get reservation. It would be an encroachment on the (rights of) other backward communities and could lead to an unrest in Maharashtra, Rane, the former chief minister of the state, said in a post on X.

Rane in a post on X said he does not approve of the state government's decision and assurance to the Maratha community regarding the reservation. "It will lead to suppression of the Maratha community that has a historical legacy and it will also be an encroachment on the other backward communities," he said.

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— Narayan Rane (@MeNarayanRane) January 28, 2024

A 26-year-old woman working for an IT major in Pune was found dead in a hotel room in the Hinjewadi area with a gunshot wound to her head in the early hours of Sunday. The police have detained a man, who is suspected to have murdered her, while he was trying to flee to Mumbai, officers said. The deceased woman was working with Infosys at the company’s Pune office, an officer said.

The Pimpri Chinchwad police said the deceased, identified as Vandana Dwivedi, was found dead with a gunshot wound in the room of a hotel located in the Laxmi Nagar area. Preliminary investigation indicated that she had come to the hotel with a man on Saturday evening.

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Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais has stressed the need for a collective initiative to promote the Marathi language and culture across the world.

He was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Vishwa Marathi Sammelan-2024 in Navi Mumbai township on Saturday.

Bais referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for India to be among the top three economies of the world in the coming years, and also reinforcing the importance of preserving and promoting linguistic diversity in the country.

In an effort to promote and preserve the cultural richness of Maharashtra, Bais appealed to the people to collectively spread the essence of "Amritvani Marathi" across the globe.

He paid homage to Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Namdev, Chakradhar Swami, Sant Tukaram, Sant Ramdas and others who have played a crucial role in shaping the cultural fabric of Maharashtra.

Bais laid emphasis on a "collective initiative to promote the Marathi language and culture worldwide," especially during this crucial time in India's history.

While addressing the linguistic challenges faced by regional languages, including Marathi, he expressed concern over the rising influence of English and underscored the need to protect and promote regional languages, encouraging the masses to continue using and practising them.

"A language becomes popular when it is embraced by the masses and practised by influential individuals," the governor said.

Reflecting on the historical context, Governor Bais discussed the changing dynamics of language learning in India.

He noted that, historically, the country had promoted the learning of various languages, including Indian languages, and emphasised the need to revive this approach.

State cabinet cabinet Deepak Kesarkar were among the dignitaries present at the event, which over the next three days will feature sessions on music, literature, entertainment, book reading, and various programmes focusing on the cultural heritage of Maharashtra.

(PTI report)

Even as the Maratha community in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad has hailed the Maharashtra government’s decision to expand the scope for offering Kunbi OBC (Other Backward Class) certification to its people, community leaders believe that the “fight is still not over”.

On Saturday, the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, bowing to pressure from activist Manoj Jarange Patil and the Maratha community, issued a gazette notification with a draft of rules that aim to ease and expand the scope for offering Kunbi OBC certification to the community. This will allow them to apply for government jobs and seats in educational institutions under the OBC category which is entitled to 27 per cent reservation in Maharashtra.

For seven days, lakhs of Maratha community members braved the biting cold, struggled for food and water and slept wherever they could find some space. But they never gave up their fight, with activist Manoj Jarange-Patil leading from the front and vowing not to return home without getting reservations. They travelled for 400 kilometres en route, halting for a while at hundreds of places, where Jarange-Patil was given a rousing reception.

Their fight ultimately has “paid dividends” as the state government on Saturday issued a resolution accepting their demands. On the seventh day, the government woke up to act and bring a happy end to the ardous fight of the Marathas.

Taking a swipe at JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar who resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar today in his bid to join the NDA alliance with the BJP just months before the Lok Sabha polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called him the 'Paltu Ram' of Bihar.

"Nitish Kumar is sick. He has a problem of forgetting. His 75 percent of memory is lost. This is the truth. He gets attack sometimes. Now he has lost the memory. Once he regains it, he will rejoin the INDIA," said Raut said.

Further taking a dig at Nitish Kumar, Raut said, "There is Ram in Ayodhya and Paltu Ram is in Bihar. The BJP and Amit Shah himself had called him Paltu Ram when Nitish Kumar had joined hands with Lalu. The BJP people are also a Paltu Ram, Shah had said that BJP's doors are closed for Nitish Kumar. Now what happened to that? The BJP people are the bigger Paltu Ram," Raut asked.

Pimpri Chinchwad police arrested six persons for allegedly murdering a painter following a financial dispute and then leaving his body at a hospital in Thergaon on Friday.

Police have identified the deceased as Bhuval alias Manoj Jagdish Maurya (38), resident of Wakad and native of Uttar Pradesh. An FIR in the matter was lodged at the Wakad police station based on a complaint by the painter’s wife.

A 20-year-old labourer was crushed to death by a crane at a cable laying site in Navi Mumbai township of Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place at around 11.30 am on Saturday in Kharghar area, they said.

The labourer was pushing a cable drum at the site where digging was underway when he accidentally tripped and fell on the road near a crane.

At that time, a crane operator moved the machine forward, crushing the labourer to death, an official from Kharghar police station said.

The deceased, a resident of Belapur area in Navi Mumbai, has been identified as Sunil Narsima Tangdi.

Based on a complaint by his brother, a case has been registered against the crane operator under Indian Penal Code sections 304A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life) and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the official said.

The body was sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, the police said, adding a probe was on into the incident.

(PTI report)

A medical board constituted by the head of the Indian Navy Hospital Ship (INHS) Asvini in Mumbai has been directed by a special court on the request of the CBI to examine Pune-based businessman Avinash Bhosale’s long hospitalisation in a civic-run hospital. This comes two months after a medical board set up by the state-run Sir J J Hospital said that his hospitalisation was justified.

The CBI, which arrested Bhosale in 2022 in connection with the DHFL-Yes Bank scam, said that a fresh evaluation by independent specialist doctors was needed and sought a medical board to be set up by the dean or head of the Navy Hospital. In January 2023, the CBI had similarly sought an examination from an army or navy hospital, to which the court had then said that in absence of any grounds to disbelieve the report submitted by the J J Hospital, the court cannot order for a new board to be set up.

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Nearly 30,000 vehicles, on an average, have been using the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) daily for the first 10 days since its inauguration, generating an average revenue of Rs 61.50 lakh per day through toll charges.

As per data provided by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which developed the project, in the first 10 days till January 23, a total of 3.09 lakh vehicles used the sea bridge generating a revenue of Rs 6.15 crore through toll.

According to forecasts made by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai skies are expected to be clear and sunny today. The highest temperature is likely to be around 34 degree celsius, while the temperature is expected to drop to 19 degrees celsius in the city today. 

Maharashtra Minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal has called a meeting of OBC leaders today at 5 pm to decide the future strategy as the draft notification for Maratha reservation has sought suggestions and objections till February 16. 

"Based on that final call will be taken. If the government decides to move forward with this then we will think of approaching the court," he said.

Bhujbal said that government has only issued draft and not the final notification.

EVEN AS the Maratha community awaits finalisation of rules on Maratha reservation, the communities under Other Backward Class (OBC) fear a shrinking of their 27 per cent reservation pie, and are ready to take the battle to the street and the courts.

While the proposed formulation does not tinker with the 50 per cent limit set by the Supreme Court, it allows Marathas to claim reservation under the 27 per cent set aside for OBCs. So there will be more claimants not just for government jobs and educational institutions reserved for OBCs, but also for OBC-reserved seats in local civic bodies.

The "principal obligation" of the presiding officer of a legislature is to remain impartial and above party politics while allowing elected representatives to express their views freely, Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said on Saturday.

Speaking at the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference here, Narwekar, who faced severe criticism from the Shiv Sena (UBT) over his recent ruling on disqualification petitions, also said that constitutional offices should not be dragged into political bickering.

"We all are stakeholders in the political process but (at the same time) aloof from it, in a manner of speaking. The principal obligation of a presiding officer is to remain unbiased, impartial and above party politics while permitting the elected representatives to articulate their views freely," he said. (PTI)

Members of the Maratha community in Latur district broke into celebrations by bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets on Saturday after their leader Manoj Jarange ended his indefinite fast saying the Maharashtra government had accepted his demands.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in the city echoed with chants of ‘Ek Maratha, lakh Maratha' and ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki jai' as thousands of members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha and Sakal Maratha Samaj gathered to celebrate.

Jarange on Saturday called off his indefinite fast for Maratha quota after the Maharashtra government accepted his demands, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get reservation, they will be given all the benefits enjoyed by the OBCs.

Wearing saffron caps and waving saffron flags, Maratha community members joyfully danced, played with colours, distributed sweets and burst crackers to celebrate their victory. (PTI)

Congress's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Saturday said the state unit leadership including Nana Patole has been asked to hold seat-sharing talks with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and other like-minded parties.

The statement came days after Ambedkar snubbed an invite from leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance -- state Congress chief Patole and leaders of Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) -- for seat-sharing talks for the Lok Sabha elections, and also claimed that Patole had no powers to hold such talks.

Speaking to reporters here after reviewing the party's Lok Sabha elections preparations in north Maharashtra, Chennithala said Patole, state legislature party leader Balasaheb Thorat and former chief minister Ashok Chavan have been assigned the responsibility of holding talks with VBA and other like-minded parties. (PTI)

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said there is a new trend of obstructing the proceedings in the House in a planned way and the time has come to change it.

Addressing the 84th All India Presiding Officers' Conference (AIPOC), Birla said there is enough space to give voice to dissent in a democratic system and, therefore, disruption should not be used as a tool of protest and dissent.

"There is a new trend of obstructing the proceedings of the House in a planned way. Time has come to change this," he said, noting that state legislatures, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha are places for discussion and dialogue.

The agenda of the 84th AIPOC is to strengthen people's trust in democratic institutions - the need to maintain discipline and decorum in Parliament and the legislatures of States and UTs; and how to make the committee system more purposeful and effective.

Expressing concern over incidents of indiscipline, disruption of proceedings and unparliamentary conduct in the legislatures affecting their credibility, Birla said there should be a model Vidhan Sabha, where there is no obstruction, to inspire other state legislatures, Birla said. (PTI)

The Mumbai police have raided a fake call centre in Maharashtra's Raigad district and arrested 10 persons for allegedly duping people on the pretext of helping them with loans under a central scheme, an official said on Saturday.

During the recent raid, the police also seized cash and valuables worth nearly Rs 58 lakh from the fraudsters who were operating from a flat in Panvel, he said.

The official said that the accused used to cheat people promising them loans under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana. Launched in 2015, PMMY provides loans up to Rs 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small or microenterprises.

The police action came on a complaint by one Meena Mirgule (44), he said.

The woman said she came across an advertisement on Facebook about loans with 2 per cent interest under PMMY. She then called on the mobile number given in the ad.

Mirgule told the police that the persons on the other side asked her to provide many documents and also made her shell out Rs 40,000. Soon, she realised that she had been duped and approached the Andheri police. (PTI)

Union minister BL Verma on Saturday said the Centre will provide all help for the development of the cooperative sector in Maharashtra.

The Union minister of state for cooperation was speaking at the Maharashtra State Urban Cooperative Banks Conference (MSUCBC) 2023-24 being held here.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Minister for Cooperation Amit Shah, many steps have been taken for development in the country through the medium of cooperation. The Union government will provide all help for development of the cooperative sector in Maharashtra," Verma said.

He said the Narendra Modi government had created a separate ministry for cooperation, which was ensuring all stakeholders were getting support and solutions were being found for problems facing the sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Union minister of state for health Bharti Pawar said the government must provide help to the Nashik District Central Cooperative Bank so that the institution can tide over problems. (PTI)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday launched a programme to encourage financially well-off citizens to give up benefits that they enjoy under various government schemes.

The programme, ‘Dharmaveer Shri Anand Dighe Laab Samarpan Yojana', is named after Shinde's mentor late Anand Dighe, an immensely popular Shiv Sena leader from Thane.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion here, Shinde said his government is committed to the welfare of society and considers the people of the entire state as one family. He talked about the “decisive” step taken by the government over the Maratha issue.

He also paid tribute at Anand Ashram, which was the office from where Dighe used to run the Shiv Sena in the region, on his mentor's birth anniversary. (PTI)

Marathi language embodies the culture, tradition and history of its speakers and has played a pivotal role in fostering unity among people worldwide, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Saturday.

Addressing the inauguration event of the 'Vishwa Marathi Sammelan-2024' in Navi Mumbai, the CM hailed the state government's Marathi Language Department and noted the effect of its 'My Marathi' campaign, theatre meetings and literary gatherings.

"The Marathi language embodies the culture, tradition and history of the community and plays a pivotal role in fostering unity among people worldwide," he said, adding the Vishwa Marathi Sammelan-2024 provides a platform for the Marathi community worldwide to celebrate their language and heritage.

Acknowledging the successful conclusion of the 'Marathi Language Fortnight', the CM said there was need to align Marathi literature with the language preferences of today's generation. (PTI)

A windowpane of a flat on the fifth floor of a residential building was shattered in a suspected firing in Maharashtra's Thane district, a police official said on Saturday.

The incident took place in the Mumbra area on Friday night, he said.

After being informed by the occupants of the flat, cops collected samples of the shattered glass for forensic testing to determine if the incident involved firing, said senior inspector NT Kolhatkar of Mumbra police station.

No bullet was found inside the flat, he added. (PTI)

A 50-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane lost Rs 25.5 lakh after he was allegedly lured with high returns on some investments, an official said on Saturday.

Complainant Vijay Muglikar, who works as a medical officer in a Thane hospital, said the accused, who identified himself as Prof. Saurabh Mukherjea, persuaded him to join an investment group.

Between December 26 last year and January 17, Muglikar invested Rs 25.5 lakh on shares in India and America after he was made to believe that he would be paid high returns, the official said citing the complaint.

Muglikar told the police that he did not get any money in return. He realised he had been duped after the accused gave evasive replies.

On his complaint, the Wagle Estate police registered a cheating case against Mukherjea and an entity named Bellida, he said. (PTI)

A 44-year-old farmer died by suicide at the site of a protest, being held in connection with a dam, in Maharashtra's Amravati district on Saturday, a police official said.

Superintendent of Police Vishal Anand told PTI that a group of farmers, apparently affected by the Upper Wardha dam, are staging an agitation at Morshi in the district over compensation.

The dam is located about 50 km from the district headquarters.

One of the protesting farmers hanged himself at the stage erected for the protest in the early hours of Saturday, said Anand.

After the farmer's suicide, the protesters blocked vehicular movement in the area, an official said.

In August 2023, a group of protesters had climbed onto the safety net set up on the first floor of Mantralaya in Mumbai demanding proper compensation for their land acquired for the Upper Wardha dam project.

The protesters from Morshi were demanding four acres of farmland for each villager whose land was acquired for the dam project and government jobs for the project-affected people, an official had said. (PTI)

A 52-year old employee of the Ordnance Factory Bhandara in Maharashtra was killed in a blast that occurred in Bhandara on Saturday morning while he was on duty, officials said.

The factory is located at Jawaharnagar on the outskirts of Bhandara city. Following the incident, its authorities have formed a three-member probe committee, they said.

Police identified the deceased as 52-year-old Avinash Meshram, but what exactly led to the blast was not clear yet.

"A sound of blast was heard at 8.15 am from the HEX department of the Ordnance Factory Bhandara. The employees from the nearby departments ran towards that department after hearing the blast sound and found Avinash Meshram lying motionless," a release issued by the factory spokesperson said.

He was immediately rushed to the factory hospital, where he was declared dead, it said. (PTI)

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Saturday appeared to target his own government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as he questioned the "backdoor entry" of Marathas into the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community.

He also termed the draft notification issued by the state government providing Kunbi certificates to all Marathas as a mere "eyewash", and said caste is determined by birth and not affidavits.

Bhujbal, the food and civil supplies minister, said, "The draft notification issued by the state government providing Kunbi certificates to all Marathas is an eyewash. It was a matter of study whether it is injustice to OBCs or Marathas are being taken for a ride." "Intellectuals from the Maratha community should also think about it," he said, adding that the community was making backdoor entry into the OBC reservation. (PTI)

The police in Maharashtra's Thane district have booked two persons for allegedly cheating a teacher of Rs 23 lakh promising to secure a seat for his daughter in a Mumbai-based medical college, an official said on Saturday.

Prerna Banwarilal Sharma and Kabir Sarkar are accused of collecting Rs 33 lakh from Bhiwandi resident Afroz Anwar Qureshi between August 2021 and November 2022.

The two claied that Qureshi's daughter would get admission to a reputed medical college in Mumbai under the management quota. They allegedly even gave the complainant a few fake documents in connection with the admission, the official said citing the complaint.

When the complainant's daughter failed to get an MBBS seat despite much follow-up by her father, the accused returned Rs 10 lakh, the official said. They later became unreachable. (PTI)

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar on Thursday urged the Other Backward Class (OBC) communities and Dalits in Maharashtra to fight for their political rights in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Ambedkar’s statement came even as OBC outfits announced that they would hold a rally at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on January 26 to protest the inclusion of Maratha reservation within the OBC category.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Saturday said that the Maratha community will be given all the benefits given to OBCs till the whole reservation issue is sorted."I give my word that all the promises made to Marathas will be fulfilled. No community will face any injustice while doing this," he said.

"This is a historic moment. This government is for the common people which belongs to the poor, farmers, and women. We have made decisions not for votes but for benefits. The Maratha community promoted made so many politicians as leaders. They should have given due prominence to Marathas," said CM Shinde. 

"Kunbi certificates were never found in Marathwada but now it is being found. We are ready to accept and give what they want. A common person with no political affiliation like Jarange-Patil stood and decided to protest. This CM is also a common person like him and therefore decided to fulfil all the demands," said Shinde. 

"I congratulate the Maratha community for a successful and peaceful protest. I also belong to a farming family. I know the pain of poor Marathas. I had publicly taken an oath in front of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and I am fulfilling it. My style of working is to fulfil my word, " said Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil broke his fast and called off his agitation this morning. 

Patil, who had declared that his march would enter Mumbai today unless the Maharashtra government accepted his fresh demand of amending its free education policy to include all Marathas, called off his protest early Saturday after announcing that Chief Minister Shinde had accepted their request.

"We all should leave peacefully. Reach your villages in peace and celebrate after reaching there. We will soon be meeting in Antarwali and decide a future course of action. I want to warn that if this notification is not followed then I am sure to come to Mumbai once again," said Manoj Jarange Patil after breaking his fast and calling off the agitation this morning. 

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Saturday said that he was proud that "the people of his caste followed discipline and ensured victory in the fight for Maratha reservation." 

"I am happy and proud of my caste which followed discipline and ensured victory," he said.

"I was told by many that nothing would happen by visiting Mumbai. But we had said that every obstacle in the fight for reservation will be thrown out. Don't mess with Marathas. I assure you that there will be no fight between Marathas and OBCs, not now and never in future. We have shared cordial bonds for generations. I want to tell leaders to not create rifts among us. Marathas have never opposed any leader nor OBCs," he said. 

"We had gathered here to ensure certificates and Kunbi recognition to all 54 lakh people whose data has been found till now. We have also demanded that 'sage-soyare' of those 54 lakh should also get Kunbi certificate. Over 300 Marathas have lost their lives in the fight for reservation. It was our responsibility to ensure reservations to fulfil the demand after these sacrifices. 

"You have issued notification for this and we thank you for that," he said addressing the state government. 

"We all started from Antarwali and faced a lot of trouble. I had given the word to this community that I would not waste your, have trust in me. I have only one request. The Sage Soyare notification means that the family tree of everyone who has found the Kunbi certificate will also get the Kunbi certificate. I request you to not insult this arrangement. This should be permanent," he said. 

Maratha reservation activists celebrated at Shivaji Chowk after Manoj Jarange Patil announced that he was calling off protests as the Maharashtra government had accepted their demands.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and the Maratha quota activist also applied gulal on each other's forehead to symbolise the victory and offered saffron shawls to one another. 

Amid a huge crowd of supporters, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil ended his fast in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, after the state government accepted all demands.

#WATCH | Navi Mumbai: Amid a huge crowd of supporters, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil ends his fast in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, after the state government accepted all demands. pic.twitter.com/NBuMRawZDb

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2024

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde on Saturday morning handed over a glass of juice to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil so that he could break his fast. 

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde handed over the gazette notification to Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday morning. 

Patil, who had declared that his march would enter Mumbai today unless the Maharashtra government accepted his fresh demand of amending its free education policy to include all Marathas, called off his protest early Saturday.

On Friday night, the Maharashtra government released a draft ordinance in response to the requests made by the Maratha quota activist. 

CM Eknath Shinde and Manoj Jarange-Patil garlanded the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Vashi, Navi Mumbai today. Both of them will also address a joint victory rally there. 

#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Maratha quota activist Mahesh Jarange Patil together garland the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Navi Mumbai

Patil is ending his fast today after the state government accepted the demands. pic.twitter.com/AJJhDBGsWF

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2024

OBC groups are opposed to Marathas getting quota benefits from the reservation pie allotted to them but many within the sub-committee believe the backward class groups will not be against granting separate reservation to Marathas through the SEBC Act.

The OBC Mahasangh has warned the state government of serious consequences if it agrees to Marathas reservation under the OBC category. “We will take our battle to every village and streets if the government includes Maratha reservation within the OBC category,” OBC Jan Morcha president Prakash Shendge has said.

But Akhil Bharatiya Maratha Mahasangh general secretary Sambhaji Dahatonde Patil has said, “The OBC quota should be raised beyond 27% to 42%. This additional 15% quota can be used to accommodate Marathas within OBC.”

Maratha Kranti Morcha leader and petitioner Vinod Patil, commenting on curative petition, has said, “It is likely the apex court points to shortcomings in the reservation Act. Or it can reject the petition.” In the first scenario, the government will have to rectify the shortcomings to make the Act tenable. In the second, the government will have to go by the demand of Jarange-Patil, Patil observed.

CM Eknath Shinde and Manoj Jarange-Patil will garland the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Both of them will also address a joint victory rally today at Vashi in Navi Mumbai.

The High Court verdict was challenged in the Supreme Court. A five-judge Constitution Bench of the SC led by Justice Ashok Bhushan on May 5, 2021, struck down the SEBC Act, 2018. The Bench said “no extraordinary circumstances were made out in granting” the “separate reservation… by exceeding the 50% ceiling limit of reservation … ” set by the 1992 Indra Sawhney (Mandal) judgment. Secondly, it raised questions about the empirical data submitted to prove Marathas’ social backwardness.

The Maharashtra government, then run by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, filed a review petition in the apex court. That was rejected in April 2023, following which a curative plea was filed.

In 2018, the then Devendra Fadnavis government enacted the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, that granted Marathas 16% reservation in government jobs and education.

In June 2019, a Bombay High Court Division Bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre upheld the SEBC Act but ruled that the 16% quota was not “justifiable”. It reduced the quota to 12% in education and 13% in government jobs, as recommended by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC). The High Court also said that total reservations should not exceed 50%, except in “exceptional circumstances and extraordinary situations”.

Supporters of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil celebrate, as he announces an end to the protests today after the government accepted their demands. He will break his fast today in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

#WATCH | Navi Mumbai: Supporters of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil celebrate, as he announces an end to the protests today after the government accepted their demands. He will break his fast today in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. pic.twitter.com/w3e6ve8wLx

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2024

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil will address a joint victory rally today at Vashi in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Patil has been camping there with thousands of protesters over the demand for reservation to his community. 

The government came out with the ordinance as per Jarange's demand after a team of government officials visited him last night at the camp site.

During his speech on Friday, Jarange had warned that he and his supporters would enter Mumbai on Saturday for their planned protest at Azad Maidan ground if their demands were not met by Friday night.

He also made a fresh demand that the government amend its free education policy to include all Marathas until the benefit of reservation becomes available for the entire community.

(Express Photos by Narendra Vaskar)

Since 2014 the 40-something Manoj Jarange Patil has undertaken umpteen agitations seeking reservations for the Maratha community which have largely gone unnoticed.

The lanky mullet-sporting Patil’s most recent hunger strike has, however, set off turmoil in the state sparking off violence in parts of Maharashtra and anger within the Maratha community after Patil’s supporters and the Jalna Police clashed on September 1.

Stating that the Maharashtra government has "accepted our request," Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who started his hunger strike on Friday said, the protest is over now.

"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has done a good job. Our protest is now over. Our request has been accepted. We will accept the letter from him. I will drink juice by the hands of the Chief Minister," Patil said.

The Maharashtra government on Friday night came out with a draft ordinance regarding the demands of Maratha quota activist. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held meetings with officials to discuss Jarange’s demands, and later at night sent a delegation with a draft ordinance to meet the activist, said a statement from his office.

The delegation included social justice department secretary Sumant Bhange, Aurangabad divisional commissioner Madhukar Arangal, chief minister’s personal secretary Amol Shinde and others.

#WATCH | Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil to end his fast today in the presence of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde after the government accepted demands, in Navi Mumbai pic.twitter.com/ogLqes3wHL

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2024

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who was scheduled to lead a march into Mumbai today, has called off the protest, saying the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has accepted all their demands.

“Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has done a good job. Our protest is now over. Our request has been accepted. We will accept the letter from him. I will drink juice from the hands of the Chief Minister,” Patil said.

#WATCH | Navi Mumbai: Maratha reservation activists celebrate after Manoj Jarange Patil announces to end the protests today as the government has accepted their demands pic.twitter.com/V1KxosEHRm

— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2024