Jalna (Maharashtra) – After a community backlash and a standoff with the Maharashtra government, Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil ended his 17-day hunger strike and headed for treatment at a hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. This followed his accusations against Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and threats to march to Mumbai.
Jarange-Patil called off his Mumbai plans under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s warning, but vowed to continue the fight for Maratha quotas under the ‘Sage-Soyare’ banner. He will undergo treatment before embarking on a state-wide tour for the cause of Maratha reservation in jobs and education.
The Maharashtra government recently passed the Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Bill, 2024, providing 10% quotas for the Marathas. However, Jarange-Patil insists on separate quotas for Marathas as the ‘Kunbi Caste’ and demands a formal notification for the ‘Sage-Soyare’ classification.
Meanwhile, internal divisions emerged within the quotas movement as Jarange-Patil’s associates turned critics, accusing him of jeopardizing Maratha interests and shifting stances. Political leaders also weighed in, with the BJP suggesting he was influenced by other parties and NCP Minister Bhujbal opposing Maratha quotas from the OBC category.
