Maratha Rallies

Maharashtra ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the state government is ready to talk with Maratha quota movement leader Manoj Jarange, stressing that his demands are being viewed sympathetically. However, BJP member of legislative council Parinay Fuke cautioned against yielding to what he called unconstitutional demands, saying it would trigger bigger protests by the Other Backward Class (OBC) groups. Jarange started his agitation at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Friday morning to press for reservation in education and government jobs for Marathas. Water Resources Minister and Maratha reservation sub-committee chairperson Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said they have Jarange's memorandum of demands and it would be taken up for discussion. Jarange Patil has arrived in Mumbai, and he says he is ready for talks with the government. We too are ready. Reservation was never treated as a matter of prestige by the government. Once his memorandum i

Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange reached Mumbai Friday morning, hours ahead of his protest at Azad Maidan in the city. Accompanied by hundreds of vehicles, Jarange, who began his march from his village in Jalna district on Wednesday, was welcomed at Vashi by supporters as he entered Mumbai. Thousands of his supporters have already reached Mumbai. Jarange left along with his supporters from Antarwali Sarati village, located over 400 km from Mumbai, to launch a fresh hunger strike. The 43-year-old has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. Jarange has said his supporters would protest peacefully and not disrupt the ongoing Ganesh festival. He has been demanding that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis an agrarian caste included in the OBC category which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education. The Jalna police allowed Jarange and his supporters to proceed with their march ...

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the Maharashtra government's move to grant Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community members in the state. The PIL, filed on Tuesday by one Mangesh Sasane, who claims to be the chairman of the 'OBC Welfare Foundation', said the state government by granting Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community was "eating into" the reservation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The petition is likely to come up for hearing on February 6, as per the HC's website. The plea challenges five government resolutions issued from 2004 permitting the Marathas to seek Kunbi caste certificates. "Earlier, the process of granting Kunbi certificates to Marathas was difficult but with every agitation, the process was made easier. This was just to facilitate the Marathas (for reservation)," the petitioner's advocate Ashish Mishra claimed. The petition said that in 2021, the Supreme Court declared the Maharashtra

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will meet Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday at Vashi in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, where the latter has been camping with thousands of protesters over the demand for reservation to his community, officials said. CM Shinde's meeting with Jarange assumes significance after the state government on Friday night came out with a draft ordinance regarding the reservation demands of Marathas. The government came out with the ordinance as per Jarange's demand, and 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. He has sought data of the

Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Friday reached Navi Mumbai with thousands of supporters to push for reservation for the Maratha community. Jarange and other Maratha activists reached the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) on outskirts of Mumbai around 5 am by bikes, cars, jeeps, tempos and trucks. As per his plan, Jarange, along with his supporters, will begin his hunger strike at Azad Maidan on Friday. The protesters are demanding Kunbi (OBC) status to the Maratha community. Despite the Mumbai Police issuing a notice to him denying him permission to hold a hunger strike in the city, Jarange announced on Thursday that he will reach Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on January 26. In a notice issued under section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code that enables the police to prevent cognisable offences, the police said, Mumbai is the financial capital of the country and various financial institutions, international advocacy and other financial centers are working in Mumbai. ..

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Friday urged Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to wholeheartedly address the issue of reservation for the community. Speaking to reporters, the activist said he would leave his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna at 9 am on Saturday to embark on a protest march for Mumbai to press for the demand to provide reservation to his community. "The resolution of the Maratha reservation issue rests with Fadnavis, and he should come forward and resolve the matter with his heart and mind," he said. The activist reiterated his demand that Kunbi caste certificates be issued to 54 lakh Marathas and questioned the progress made by the committee set up by the state government to address the quota issue since it started its work on December 23 last year. Jarange further accused state minister Girish Mahajan of making false promises and deceiving the Maratha community. "Where is minister Girish Mahajan who had come with seven ministers

Maharashtra's farming backbone is getting restive