Jarange-Patil serves 24-hour ultimatum to Maha govt for Maratha quotas

Mumbai: Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil on Friday gave a day's ultimatum to Maharashtra government to issue a notification on the Maratha quotas and other demands.

Sitting on agitation at Navi Mumbai along with lakhs of Marathas, Jarange-Patil has demanded that the government should immediately suspend all job recruitments till the Supreme Court decides on the curative petition and free education to Maratha boys on the lines of KG-to-PG given to girls.

He said that even if the recruitments are to be taken up, then vacancies for the Marathas must be kept till the SC case outcome.

"Till now, the government has found over 54 lakhs Kunbi-Maratha and Maratha-Kunbi records from various districts in the state. The authorities have claimed that so far 37 lakh certificates have been issued, we want the full data on this," said Jarange-Patil.

Lakhs of Marathas are currently waiting for the government’s response in Navi Mumbai with government and police officials maintaining close contact with Jarange-Patil who has started a hunger strike this morning.

The Shivba Sanghatana leader reiterated that he would not return from here till the Maratha brothers and sisters are given their due quota as promised by the government.

Earlier, on Republic Day, lakhs of Marathas waving the tricolour and saffron flags, marched into Mumbai from different entry points in what is considered as the "final battle" for reservation in education and jobs for the community.

Jarange-Patil unfurled the national tricolour at a function outside the Vashi Assistant Police Commissioner's office and saluted the flag as thousands of Marathas cheered and clapped.

Rattled by the massive crowds virtually at Mumbai’s doorsteps, the government initiated frantic efforts to convince Jarange-Patil that the reservation will be given but he should take back his sea of Maratha humanity that can paralyse the country’s commercial capital besides posing administrative, logistics and law-and-order issues.

The Opposition Congress President Nana Patole warned that "even if Jarange-Patil is touched, we will not spare the state government", and demanded full security to the Shivba Sanghatana leader.