Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil leads the Maratha Reservation Front’s march.
Mumbai:
Martha quota protest leader Manoj Jarange Patil ended his protest today after the Maharashtra government accepted all his demands. Mr Patil has been on a hunger strike in Mumbai since yesterday demanding reservation in education and jobs for the community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Mr Patil’s demands included Kunbi certificates for all Marathas, free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level, and reservation of seats for Marathas in government job recruitments.
So far, 37 lakh Kunbi certificates have been given, and the number will go up to 50 lakh, he said. Kunbi refers to Other Backward Classes (OBC).
The 40-year-old had threatened to march to Mumbai’s Azad Maidan for a massive protest if their demands were not met. “If the government does not agree, then we will show what we can do,” Mr Patil had said.
The protesters said that two Maharashtra ministers met Mr Patil on Friday night and the government has accepted all their demands.
#WATCH | Navi Mumbai: Maratha reservation activists celebrate after Manoj Jarange Patil announces to end the protests today as the government has accepted their demands pic.twitter.com/V1KxosEHRm
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2024
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is also at the protest site.
The Maratha leader has planned a victory march for later today. The march will be held in Vashi.
The Maratha community’s demand for reservation has been a focal point of discussions between the community leaders and the state government.
On May 5, 2021, the Supreme Court struck down reservations for the Maratha community in colleges, higher educational institutions, and jobs, after noting that there was no valid ground to breach 50 per cent reservation while granting Maratha reservation.