Maratha quota acitivist Manoj Jarange urges community members to 'agitate within the legal framework'

Manoj Jarange/ Pic/Agencies

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, on Friday, opined that the community should continue their agitation using resources permitted by law and not by "pelting stones", said a PTI report. The Maratha community has been demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. Jarange, whose hunger strike entered its 11^th day today, urged the Maharashtra government to drop the clause of genealogy while issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from the Marathwada region to avail of benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

He was quoted in a PTI report saying, "We are fighting for Maratha reservation and we will get it. The agitations that are taking place across the state should go on, and the agitators should work towards raising support for it."

Jarange said that the community members must not take the law into their own hands and should "agitate within the legal framework". "There is no need to agitate by pelting stones. They should use the means of protest permitted by the law," he was quoted saying.

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Maharashtra on Thursday issued a Government Resolution (GR) which stated that Kunbi caste certificates would only be issued after Marathas from Marathwada provide genealogical records from the Nizam era. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Marathwada was once part of the erstwhile Hyderabad Kingdom ruled by Nizams. Meanwhile, Kunbi is a community associated with agrarian occupations grouped under the OBC category that enjoys reservation benefits.

Jarange, according to the PTI report, asserted that the protest will continue and urged the government to revise the GR and do away with the clause of providing genealogical records while issuing caste certificates to Marathas.

The Maratha quota issue flared up in the state when police last week lathi-charged and fired tear gas shells against the protestors in Jalna after they allegedly refused to let activist Jarange shift to the hospital. Several, including 40 police personnel, sustained injuries and over 15 state transport buses were burnt in the violence.

The police action triggered more protests by the community across the state and a war of words between the incumbent government and the Opposition; Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis admitted on Monday that the government regretted the use of force by the police.