News Analysis India

Tag: Maratha quota

  • Manoj Jarange: If I’m arrested, crores of Marathas will go on hunger strike: Quota activist Manoj Jarange

    CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR: Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday claimed that if he is arrested, crores of Marathas will stage a hunger strike. Talking to reporters at a private hospital in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he is currently undergoing treatment after ending his fast at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna three days back, Jarange said the Maratha community is fighting for its rights.

    The government still has a chance to implement the “sage soyre” (blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas) draft notification. The community will appreciate it, he said.

    The draft notification was issued in January for issuing certificates to eligible Kunbi (OBC) Marathas. Jarange has reiterated his opposition to the 10 per cent quota granted to the Maratha community recently by the Maharashtra legislature under a special category.

    The activist has been under fire for using intemperate language against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday as he alleged the BJP leader was trying to kill him.

    Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on Tuesday directed the state government to set up a special investigation team (SIT) and conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the Jarange’s remarks against Fadnavis. “The Maratha community and I will not give up the demand of quota for the relatives (of Marathas who have Kunbi certificates), even if I am put in jail. It seems the report (of SIT) is about to get ready before the inquiry. No matter wherever they keep me, I am ready to go anywhere,” he said. “I am not greedy even for a single rupee. Let them arrest me. The route by which I will be taken to jail, they (government) will find crores of Maratha community members sitting on hunger strike along the route,” Jarange added.

    The activist claimed nearly 1.5 crore persons have got reservation till now as about 57 lakh records of ‘Kunbis’ have been found so far, and that he has been demanding reservation for the remaining people.

    “They (those in the government) expect that we should talk to them respectfully. When our people are getting arrested without any fault, why should we? What was the reason that curfew was imposed in Antarwali Sarati?” he asked.

    Jarange said the 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community is acceptable if facilities for the SEBC (Social Economic Backward Class) are included in it.

    “This 10 per cent reservation should be included in the OBC quota,” he added.

    On the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s proposal that Jarange contest the upcoming Lok Sabha poll from Jalna, the activist said he respects the VBA chief as he has supported their agitation since the beginning.

    “But contesting elections is not my way. I will keep working for my community,” he added.

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  • Maratha quota: Special session of Maharashtra Assembly to commence today, Maratha quota likely on agenda

    The Maharashtra government will hold a special Vidhan Sabha session for one day on Tuesday to hold discussion on the Maratha reservation issue.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stressed on Friday that reservation to Marathas will be given according to the terms of the law after presenting the report in during the special assembly session called for February 20.

    “The survey has been conducted on nearly 2-2.5 crore people… Keeping in mind that the OBC community is not left behind in the process, the government will present the report to the cabinet committee. On February 20, we have called a special session of the assembly, after which the Maratha reservation will be given according to the terms of the law…,” CM Shinde said.The decision to hold the session was taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

    “The cabinet meeting has given its nod to convene a one-day special session of the legislature on Tuesday, February 20, to discuss the various demands of the Maratha community,” a note issued by the Chief Minister’s office stated.

    The decision to convene a special session was prompted by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who is on a hunger strike at Antarwali Saarati village in Jalna district.After the Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting, Congress president Nana Patole said that the Maharashtra Assembly session would commence on Monday, adding that the meeting was being held to form a strategy for the session. “The Maharashtra Assembly session commences tomorrow. The system is that they should call the opposition for BAC and discuss the proceedings of the House. However, the BJP government in the state does not want to follow the constitutional process. So, we came together to form a strategy for the session,” Patole told ANI.

    Meanwhile, the political scenario of Maharashtra is fluid as Sharad Pawar lost his party name and symbol.

    Veteran politician Sharad Pawar said on Saturday the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the group led by his nephew Ajit Pawar as the ‘real’ Nationalist Congress Party was “not in accordance with law.”

    Sharad Pawar moved the Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the ECI to officially recognise the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and the use of party symbols.

    The Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the interim order by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that allowed veteran leader Sharad Pawar to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party–Sharad Chandra Pawar’ would continue till further orders.

    On February 6, the poll panel, while applying the test of majority in the legislative wing, ruled that Ajit Pawar’s faction was the ‘real’ NCP and permitted the faction to use the ‘clock’ symbol for the party.

    In its order, the Election Commission noted that the total number of NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra State Assembly stood at 81, and out of this, Ajit Pawar submitted affidavits of 57 MLAs in his support, while Sharad Pawar had only 28 affidavits.

    Hence, the poll panel concluded that the Ajit Pawar faction enjoyed the majority support of the legislators and could lay claim to being the NCP. (ANI)

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