Fadnavis Says 12 of 13 Maratha Quota Demands Accepted as Jarange Ends Fast
Manoj Jarange has ended his 20-day hunger strike after the Maharashtra government said it had accepted 12 of his 13 demands and would work on their implementation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis welcomed Manoj Jarange’s decision to end his 20-day hunger strike over Maratha reservation demands. Fadnavis said the state government had accepted 12 of Jarange’s 13 demands, while the remaining issue involved judicial and constitutional considerations.
Jarange ended the fast on September 17 after talks with a Maharashtra government delegation in Beed. He gave the government three months to act on his demands and indicated that the agitation could move to Mumbai if the commitments were not implemented.
A key part of the dispute concerns historical records, including the Hyderabad, Satara and Aundh Gazettes, which Jarange wants formally recognised to help eligible Marathas establish Kunbi lineage and access benefits under the Other Backward Classes category. The government has said work is underway on these records and related caste certificates.
Fadnavis said administrative steps would be taken to implement decisions already made by the government and its Maratha reservation sub-committee. He also maintained that any action involving judicial matters would have to follow constitutional and legal processes.
The end of the fast does not mean the reservation issue has been resolved. Jarange has retained the option of further protest if he believes the government does not fulfil its commitments within the three-month period.
