The activist, pushing for OBC reservations for Maratha community, left Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district on Tuesday and halted overnight at Patoda in Beed.After maintaining a firm stand for nearly a week, the state government softened its position and sent a draft proposal to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Wednesday, the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike. The government also appealed to him to call off the strike and cancel his planned march to Mumbai as it could disrupt the Ganesh festivities.
Jarange-Patil, however, said he is determined to reach Mumbai on September 18 and lead the protest but is open to dialogue with the government. He said if he is stopped from entering Azad Maidan, “lakhs of Marathas would proceed to Mumbai”.
After the government softened its stand on Wednesday, Jarange-Patil agreed to hold talks before proceeding to Mumbai. Along with the draft proposal to amend the government resolution concerning the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas, the government planned to send a delegation to meet him. Jarange-Patil said he would decide his next course of action after studying the draft and meeting the delegation.
“I will reach Mumbai alone at 10:00am on September 18 to assess the preparations at Azad Maidan. I have requested Marathas to remain in their respective villages and not travel to Mumbai until I ask them to,” he said. If he is prevented from entering the venue, lakhs of Marathas would travel to Mumbai, he reiterated.
Dropping his plan to halt at Shrigonda and Khopoli, Jarange-Patil said he would travel directly to Mumbai after departing on Thursday afternoon. Government doctors treating him have advised hospitalisation.While acknowledging that the government had accepted most of his demands, Jarange Patil placed four conditions before it on Wednesday.
“They should revise the government resolution issued to implement the Hyderabad Gazetteer and streamline the issuance of Kunbi certificates. There should be a time-bound assurance for implementing the Satara and Kolhapur gazetteers. Kunbi certificates should be issued on the basis of all 5.8 million records related to Kunbi lineage collected by the government. The government should also ensure that caste validity committees clear all the certificates issued by the government,” he said, insisting that the assurances come from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
While reviewing Jarange-Patil’s third application seeking permission to hold a protest at Azad Maidan, the Mumbai police have sought several clarifications and have pointed to apparent contradictions in his application to stage a public protest.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/maharashtra-govt-softens-stand-maratha-quota-activist-manoj-jarange-patil-refuses-to-budge-on-mumbai-protest-101789583653791.html#google_vignette