Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil vows to hunger strike again from Feb 10

Manoj Jarange addresses supporters on Friday/ Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil said on Monday that he will go on hunger strike beginning February 10, accusing other Maratha leaders of jealousy and attempting to sabotage his efforts for the community's reservation.

Speaking to the media, Jarange-Patil urged the Maharashtra government to quickly fulfil the pledges made in the draft handed to him on January 27 and take steps to secure reservations for Marathas.

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Jarange Patil was quoted in an IANS report saying, "The Maratha leader said, "A handful of 10-20 disgruntled people from the government as well as opposition groups, have taken the contract to speak against me and attack me on social media. They are jealous of me and resent me… This fight is for the Marathas… But from now onwards, if they don't stop their antics, then I will reveal their names along with their parties and leaders."

Addressing his critics, Maratha quota activist Jarange-Patil said that a tiny group of 10-20 people from both the administration and the opposition were deliberately attacking him on social media out of jealousy. He pledged to divulge their identities and party affiliations if they continued their conduct.

Jarange-Patil rejected attempts to sideline him, emphasising that the fight was for the good of the Maratha community, and declared his devotion to the cause until his Maratha brethren advised him otherwise. He chastised individuals who sought to undermine the movement, claiming they were concerned about losing power among the Marathas.

Despite the hurdles, Jarange-Patil remained determined to carry out the hunger strike, which is set to begin on February 10, noting that people everywhere he travels voice concerns over Maratha quotas.

"They are making desperate attempts to sideline me. But I will not step aside till my Maratha brethren tell me to… These elements want to grab credit and are resorting to such tactics," declared Jarange-Patil, stated the IANS report. He further said, "Wherever I go, people always talk of Maratha quotas. For the cause of the community, I will go ahead with my hunger strike from February 10."

Simultaneously, OBC groups opposed to the Marathas have warned to escalate their protests. This comes after breakaway Nationalist Congress Party Minister Chhagan Bhujbal announced his resignation on November 16, 2023, which remains pending Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's response. CM Shinde, meanwhile, has stated that the Maratha quotas will be awarded without affecting allocations to other communities.