The Maratha quota activist also announced that he will launch a new agitation from February 24 across the state if the Eknath Shinde government does not convert its draft notification on ‘blood relatives’ of Kunbi Marathas into a law. Mr. Jarange-Patil also claimed that the bill providing a 10 per cent separate reservation to the Maratha community would not withstand legal scrutiny and that giving them reservations under the OBC category is the only way out.
Maharashtra Legislature on Tuesday passed the Maratha Quota Bill, which provides 10 per cent quota to members of Maratha communities in education and jobs, breaching the 50 per cent cap decided by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Jarange-Patil, who has been on his hunger strike at Antarwali-Saraati village in Jalna district of Maharashtra from February 10 with a demand to enact a law on the lines of the draft notification issued by the state government on January 27 to provide Kunbi certificates to eligible Marathas and their “sage soyre (blood relatives)”, gave an ultimatum of two days to the state government to ratify the notification by February 23. Kunbi certificate will make Marathas to get reservation under the OBC category.
Mr. Jarange-Patil said that they are going to request the Election Commission and the state government to not hold an election till ‘blood relatives’ of Kunbi Marathas are given the reservation. “The government should ratify the notification of sage soyre (blood relatives) within two days. If they fail to do so, we should start a protest from February 24, ” Mr.Jarange-Patil said. The villagers should hold a protest at their village and should not come to Tehsil.
Mr. Jarange-Patil also urged the members of Maratha community to not resort to violence while holding the protest.
