Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Friday issued a warning to the BJP-led Mahayuti government, insisting that all pending and legitimate demands of the Maratha community must be fulfilled before August 29. Failing this, Jarange said he would launch what he termed the “last indefinite fast” of his life.
“If the demands are not implemented by August 29, I will begin my final indefinite fast. I do not know whether I will survive, but this time I will not accept any mediation or intervention,” Jarange said after meeting BJP MLC Prasad Lad at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district.
Lad, who arrived around 12:30 pm, briefed Jarange on the government’s ongoing efforts regarding Maratha reservation and welfare initiatives. During the interaction, Jarange acknowledged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s approach, calling it positive. “After suspending the agitation, we thanked the government on the very first day. For the first time, the community feels that the chief minister is taking a constructive stand on Maratha issues. He is achieving what was earlier considered impossible, giving hope to the community,” Jarange said.
He, however, stressed that effective implementation at the administrative level was crucial. While welcoming the government’s decision to extend educational and economic benefits to Marathas on par with Other Backward Classes (OBCs), he alleged that several schools and colleges were still charging full fees from Maratha students. “When will these benefits reach the ground?” he asked, urging the government to ensure that directives were communicated to all institutions by Monday and that any excess fees collected from eligible students were promptly refunded.
The quota activist also demanded an expedited resolution of the long-pending Satara Sansthan issue and called for the creation of an independent Maratha-Kunbi cell. He appealed to the residents of Marathwada to submit applications under the revised format for caste-related certificates.
Speaking after the meeting, Lad said a separate mechanism had been put in place to validate caste certificates using Hyderabad Gazette records, and that a dedicated “Maratha Mantralaya Cell” was in its final stages of establishment. He said the Shinde Committee had received a legal extension, and a special team was working continuously to verify data related to 58 lakh Kunbi records.
Lad further said of the 964 cases registered against Maratha protesters, the home department had completed the process of withdrawing 902. He warned that any government official found deliberately delaying or obstructing reservation-related work or certificate issuance would face suspension.
