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The ruling Mahayuti govt has established a 10‑member ministerial committee led by Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil
Activist Manoj Jarange Patil during his indefinite hunger strike demanding Maratha reservation, at Azad Maidan, in Mumbai. (PTI photo)
Mumbai Police on Sunday granted Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil permission to extend his protest at Azad Maidan by one more day.
Patil has been on a hunger strike for the past three days, demanding a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He argues that Marathas share caste links with the agrarian Kunbi community.
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Kunbis are an agricultural caste that currently qualifies for reservation benefits under the OBC category.
The activist has said he will not leave the protest site until the state government issues a formal resolution (GR) on the quota demand.
Speaking to the media at Azad Maidan earlier in the day, Patil declared, “We won’t budge from the protest venue till demands are met even if the Fadnavis govt fires bullets at us”.
He also claimed that there are around 58 lakh official records proving that Marathas have historical links to the Kunbi caste. “Those who want reservation will take it. Don’t generalise Marathas as Kunbis if there is a legal issue,” he added.
10‑Member Panel Formed
In response to mounting pressure, the ruling Mahayuti government has established a 10‑member ministerial committee led by Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. The panel is examining whether the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers, which describe Marathas as Kunbis, can be legally invoked to grant reservation rights.
After a panel meeting, Vikhe Patil said that both the Advocate General Biren Saraf and retired High Court judge Sandeep Shinde will review the gazetteers.
“I will meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and apprise him of the deliberations the sub-committee had. There is a Supreme Court observation regarding the recognition of Marathas as Kunbis. We cannot override the SC observations (that Marathas and Kunbis are not the same). We are open to discussions as a solution needs to be found,” the minister said.
Political Row Erupts
The Maratha quota agitation has triggered a political row, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stating that the government is working on a “war footing” to resolve the issue.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has extended its support to the protest, while NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has called for a constitutional amendment to lift the 50 per cent cap on reservations—a proposal also backed by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
Pawar’s suggestion, however, drew a pointed response from Ajit Pawar, who remarked that those now proposing such changes had themselves been in power for years.
Raut, meanwhile, urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to meet protest leader Manoj Jarange Patil directly at Azad Maidan, criticising the minister’s handling of the reservations issue. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, on the other hand, defended the government’s response and accused the opposition of politicising the agitation.
(With inputs from agencies)
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The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
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