Mumbai: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday started indefinite fast demanding reservation for his community under the OBC category. He also said if his demand is not accepted, he will field candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Jarange’s agitation was a major factor in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, particularly in the Marathwada region where the BJP-led alliance lost all seats. Now, Jarange has threatened to up the ante ahead of the state assembly elections.
The Police have not permitted Jarange to hold the protest, but that has not deterred him. He said that if the Maratha reservation is not provided this time, he will contest all 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra. The Assembly elections are expected to take place in October this year.
“We are not interested in entering politics. But if our demand is not fulfilled, we will have no other option. We will field candidates on all 288 seats and you (BJP) will not win a single seat,” Jarange said.
The Maharashtra government has enacted a law to provide 10 per cent separate reservation to the Maratha community. However, Jarange claimed that the separate reservation will not survive the legal scrutiny and insisted for reservation under the OBC category. He has demanded Kunbi caste certificates for all Marathas, which will make them eligible for OBC reservation.
“The government (of Eknath Shinde) has tried to fool us. Even the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Uddhav Thackeray did nothing about our reservation when it was in power. If we don’t get reservation now, Marathas will show their political might,” he said.
