Maratha Quota Row: Not Even A Drop Of Water, Warns Jarange Patil

Mumbai: Manoj Jarange Patil is firm on his demand of 'correction' in the Government Resolution and has made it clear that his agitation for Maratha Reservation shall continue till the government acts on the promises made to him. The announcement came in light of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's meeting with Martha agitators late last night in Mumbai, which the CM had termed as 'positive'.

After a meeting of the delegation of activists sent by Jarange Patil with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other members of the cabinet sub committee on Maratha reservation at the Sahyadri state guest house in Mumbai on late Friday night, CM Shinde on Saturday sent a message in a closed envelope to Jarange Patil. Former MLA Arjun Khotkar carried the CM's message to Patil. After reading the message he said that his agitation shall continue. He also actually indicated that the agitation will intensify, since he said that, now, he shall stop consuming water and medicines also.

Day 12 of Patil fast

Today was the 12th day of Jarange-Patil fast and this was the third time that the state government had failed to fulfill his demands.

"We had said that a small correction should be made in the GR drawn by the government on September 7. We have been demanding that 'all' Marathas should get the Kunbi certificates. Till the government doesn't mention that clearly in the GR we shall not withdraw the agitation," Jarange-Patil told his followers and the media at his Antarvali Sarate village after he read the message for him from the Chief Minister.

List of demands not yet met

Importantly Jarange-Patil also read out the list of which of their demands have not been met by the government as yet. "There was a cowardly lathicharge. However, there has been no action taken against those who led the charge. Instead of being asked to proceed on compulsory leave the officers must have been dismissed from the service. Those who fired bullets were also seen with the delegation in Mumbai. The government is free to decide whether to act against the officers or not, but at least the cases against us should have been withdrawn," Jarange-Patil said.

While appealing to the members of the community to engage in peaceful agitation, Jarange-Patil said, "Now only a small correction in the GR is needed and we are appealing to the government to make the correction. You can carry on agitations at your respective places, but don't act with malice or vengeance against anyone."

After the appeal of Jarange-Patil Khotkar started back to meet CM with a message from Jarange-Patil. "80 percent work is over, only 20 percent is remaining," he told the media on his way back from the site of the agitation.

However, after that Jarange-Patil made it clear that he won't be taking water or the medicines starting tomorrow. 

CM Shinde met the delegation of agitators from Jalna at Sahyadri state guest house on Friday night along with DCM Devendra Fadnavis, 

Union minister of state for Railways Raosaheb Danve, Revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, rural development minister Girish Mahajan, MLA Bharat Gogawale, Chairman of Annasaheb Patil Financial Development Corporation Narendra Patil, Advocate General Birendra Saraf, Chief Secretary Manoj Saunik and senior officials of various government departments. Ministers Chandrakant Patil, Uday Samant, Dadaji Bhuse along with district collectors of several districts participated in the meeting via online mode. The meeting lasted well over two hours. However, nothing seems to have moved forward.

Strict bandh observed in Pimpri-Chinchwad

Meanwhile, strict bandh was observed in the city of Pimpri-Chinchwad on Saturday to protest the lathi-charge on Maratha agitators at Jalna. Shops, business establishments, hotels, banks and a few industrial units stayed shut, however, vehicular traffic remained unaffected as the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) plied services. A few educational institutes also observed a holiday.

The Maratha Kranti Morcha, which had given the call for bandh, threatened to intensify its agitation and demanded that the government make efforts to ensure that the community gets reservations soon.