Bandh declared in Latur over Maratha reservation demand, community members hold motorcycle rally

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Maratha outfits called for a bandh in Latur district on Monday to show their support for activist Manoj Jarange, who is on an indefinite hunger strike to demand reservation for the community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, news agency PTI reported.

Members of the Maratha outfits gathered at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in Latur and took out a massive motorcycle rally across the city. They urged business establishments to shut down their shutters over the Maratha reservation demand.

As the call for the bandh was given earlier, shops, schools and colleges were closed for the day.

Jarange has been demanding the implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as 'sage soyare (blood relatives)' of Maratha community members and granting reservation to his community under OBC category.

He launched a fresh indefinite fast on September 17, his sixth in over a year, to press for his demand for reservation for the Maratha community.

On September 21, Jarange's supporters were in Mumbai to meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence over the Maratha reservation demand.

However, they were stopped by Mumbai Police outside the civic body headquarters.

The same day, the supporters of Jarange as well as of OBC leader Laxman Hake confronted each other. The development comes amid the growing tension over separate hunger strikes by Jarange and Hake in Jalna district of Maharashtra.

Hake, who has been on fast since Thursday, September 19, for the "protection" of the OBC quota, accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Jarange of "trying to suppress the OBC reservation movement", news agency PTI reported.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of Maratha activists took out a two-wheeler rally, passing through the protest site of Hake in Wadigodri village and raising slogans, promptly countered by members of OBC communities.

The police prevented a potential law-and-order situation by dispersing the supporters of Hake and Jarange, an officer said.

Notably, Hake and Jarange have been observing fasts at Wadigodri and Antarwali Sarati villages, situated 3 km apart, in Jalna district.

Jarnage launched a fresh hunger strike on Tuesday, September 17, for the implementation of the draft notification declaring the blood relatives of Marathas as Kunbis, based on historical documents from the Satara, Bombay, and Hyderabad gazetteers.

Jarange's main demand is bringing the Marathas under the OBC quota so that they can avail reservations in government jobs and education.