Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said the Maharashtra government must urgently engage in talks with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange and provide justice to the community.
Jarange launched an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai on Friday. He declared that he would not leave the venue until the demands of the Maratha community, including reservations in education and government jobs, were fulfilled.
“The government must immediately hold dialogue (with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange) and give justice to the community,” Thackeray told reporters, stressing that a respectable solution must be found.
He added that the responsibility to ensure justice for the Maratha community lies squarely with the state government.
The protesters, he said, were not “terrorists” and had come to Mumbai not for “rioting”, but to demand their rightful due.
“The protesters are not terrorists and they have come to Mumbai not for rioting but for justice,” Thackeray said.
Alleging that the Maratha community had been misled several times in the past with false promises, Thackeray said their long-standing issues remained unresolved. However, he did not clearly state his own stand on the reservation demand.
Taking aim at Eknath Shinde, Thackeray asked why the community had not received justice during his two-and-a-half-years as chief minister.
Jarange is demanding a 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He insists that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis — an agrarian caste already included in the OBC list — which would make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government said it was ready to hold discussions with Jarange over his demands. Several MPs and MLAs from the Marathwada region visited the protest site to express support.
Jarange, 43, arrived at Azad Maidan around 9.45 am to a rousing welcome from thousands of supporters, many of whom wore saffron scarves, caps, and carried flags.
“I will not go back until our demands are met. Even if I am shot dead, I will not retreat,” Jarange said while addressing the gathering.
He blamed the government’s “lack of cooperation” for compelling the community to march to Mumbai. “Now that the government has allowed the protest, we must cooperate with the police and ensure that we do nothing that tarnishes the community`s image,” he added.
Jarange began his fast at 10 am and repeatedly urged supporters to protest peacefully and not inconvenience residents of the city. He said there had been some attempts to create disturbances and asked his supporters to identify those involved and determine which district they came from.
(With PTI inputs)
