Maratha quota stir enters Day 3: Manoj Jarange stays firm on Kunbi demand; govt faces heat as opposition leaders extend support – key updates

MUMBAI: The stand-off between Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who is on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan demanding that all Marathas be given Kunbi (OBC) status, continues on Sunday with the police extending permission for one more day.The state sent Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde who heads a state panel on the quota to talk to Jarange on Saturday but the latter said he will continue the agitation till the state issues a government resolution declaring all Marathas as Kunbis. He also wants Marathas with Kunbi antecedents listed in several gazetteers to get the caste certificate.

Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers at the core of demand“The government should issue a GR declaring Marathas as Kunbis by Sunday.

I will not move until this is done. The state should also implement the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers immediately. The Bombay and Aundh gazetteers can be implemented later,” said Jarange. The Hyderabad gazetteer reportedly recorded Marathas as Kunbis during the Nizam era. The region of Marathwada was part of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad state till 1948.Jarange also warned that more protesters would pour into the city.

“Do not test our patience. As the agitation extends, all Marathas will leave their homes and come to Mumbai,” he said.Anger over state’s response, focus on FadnavisJarange was clearly unhappy that the state sent Justice Shinde to meet him instead of a cabinet minister. During his hunger strike in Navi Mumbai in 2024, then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had gone to mediate. “I expected the government to come here, not the Shinde committee. Chief Minister Fadnavis has insulted the state legislature,” he said.Indeed, Jarange continued to focus his fire on Fadnavis. “It is because of the Chief Minister’s instructions that our people are being denied toilets, water and food. We want reservations, not politics. Fadnavis wants politics and does not want to give reservations. He always creates hurdles for the poor,” he said.Shinde told the media, “The government had given provisional approval for the Hyderabad gazetteer.

The rest of Jarange’s demands will have to be placed before the cabinet.” While speaking to Jarange, Shinde said that it was upto the Maharashtra Backward Class commission to declare a community as backward. Until then, the Kunbi quota could be granted to individual applicants who were eligible.

Opposition leaders rally behind JarangeOpposition leader Ambadas Danve from the SS (UBT) met Jarange at Azad Maidan on Saturday and connected him on the phone to party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar at a function in Ahilyanagar said the path to increasing quotas was through a constitutional amendment. “Tamil Nadu has 72% reservation. For this a constitutional amendment is required with parliament taking a decision,” he said.In the public eye, the state government seems to be trying to play down the Jarange agitation. While the cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha quota led by revenue minister from the BJP Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil held a meeting, he did not call on Jarange.

Fadnavis continued with his schedule, attending Ganpati events including a darshan of Lalbagcha Raja with union home minister Amit Shah.Fadnavis calls for consensus, warns against politicsFadnavis said, “Politics can go out of the window. We do not want to pit one community against the other, keep them at loggerheads and take political advantage of this. Whatever is possible within legal and Constitutional limits will be allowed.He also said, “I want all political parties to take a stand on whether the Maratha quota should be granted from the OBC quota. On this issue, they are silent.”