Mumbai: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Friday announced that he would march towards Mumbai on August 29 for implementation of the reservation for the Maratha community in the OBC category. He also appealed to the Maratha community members to gather at the Antarwali Sarathi village in Ambad tehsil in Jalna district on August 29 for a meeting, in which he would decide whether to contest the upcoming Assembly election or not.
The Maratha quota activist on Friday held a rally in Kolhapur. Addressing the rally, he said that he wants to make the Maratha community strong and big. “If the government did not give the reservation under OBC category, I would not be left with any option except to join politics,” he said.
Jarange also alleged that a group of ruling parties’ MLAs has been assigned a task to defame the Marath protesters. “Instead of doing these things, the government should have provided the reservation (under the OBC category). If the government is not going to do this, we have no option but to become a part of the government (by contesting the election),” he said.
It is pertinent to note that the OBC community leaders have been opposing Jarange’s demand.
Mr. Jarange also said that the members of the community should remain united and not fall prey to the political pressure. He said, “I want to request everyone in each house that it is our responsibility to protect the future of our children. Our educated children are unemployed. If the community wants to see our children in government jobs and higher education, it will be done only by providing reservation.”
The activist will be taking a constituency-wise review from August 14 to August 20. He will announce his final decision on August 29.
The Maratha quota activist is also demanding withdrawal of all the cases, which were registered during the protest in Marathwada, against the Marathas in the last 11 months.
