Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday claimed that 54 lakh records have been found in Maharashtra so far identifying members of the Maratha community as Kunbi (OBC sub-caste), and demanded immediate issuance of caste certificates.
His protest in Mumbai will be “peaceful and democratic” and the normal life in the country’s financial capital will not be affected, he assured.
Jarange set out on a march towards Mumbai from Jalna district on January 20 with thousands of supporters, demanding that the state government grant quota to Marathas under the OBC grouping in jobs and education.
The morcha comprising several vehicles was passing through Pune city on Wednesday on the way to Mumbai, where it will culminate on January 26.
Pune Police diverted road traffic and made elaborate security arrangements.
Jarange had announced the launch of an indefinite hunger strike in Mumbai from January 26 if the state government failed to grant the reservation to Marathas in government jobs and education.
“As many as 54 lakh records have been found so far which show that as many members of the Maratha community belong to the agrarian Kunbi community. These persons and their descendants should be given the Kunbi caste certificates immediately,” he told reporters.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had last month said that a special session of the state legislature will be held in February 2024, if necessary, to provide reservation to the Maratha community.
Queried on the assurance given by Shinde, Jarange said the government had seven months to act on the quota demand.
A Maratha leader claimed that the support for Jarange is increasing and the number of participants in the morcha is swelling as it is nearing Mumbai.
The march will halt in Lonavala on Wednesday evening. We will move toward Mumbai on Thursday, he added.
Speaking to reporters elsewhere later in the day, Jarange said the protest in Mumbai will be peaceful.
The Bombay High Court earlier on Wednesday refused to restrain Jarange from entering Mumbai, but asked the Maharashtra government to ensure that the city roads were not blocked.
Asked about the HC order, Jarange said there would be no traffic snarls as “there are thousands of roads in Mumbai and we would take only one.” “We will carry out our protest in a democratic and peaceful way,” he said, adding that he did not aim to bring Mumbai to a standstill.
Jarange had held fast-unto-death protests on two occasions in the past for the Maratha quota demand, forcing the government to set up a committee to look into the OBC antecedents of members of the Maratha community from Marathwada region.
Chief Minister Shinde recently announced a survey by the State Backward Classes Commission to assess the educational, social and financial backwardness of the Maratha community.
The Supreme Court had quashed the Maharashtra law granting reservations to Marathas in admissions and government jobs in 2021.
The state government had filed a curative petition in the apex court against the judgement.
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