Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil begins 6th indefinite hunger strike

Mumbai: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil announced he was beginning his sixth indefinite hunger strike from 12 am on Tuesday at his village, Antarwali Sarati, to press for nine demands he has made to the state government.
The 42-year-old said that if the government failed to meet the demands, including reservation for Marathas in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota, the community would be free to take its political decision ahead of the assembly polls in November. Jarange-Patil has earlier warned the government that he would field candidates for all 288 assembly seats in the state polls if his demands were not met.
“We are not concerned with politics and will not speak a word about it. I am starting my indefinite hunger strike for the demand of Maratha reservation. Apart from reservation, the government should also fulfil our other eight demands. This is another opportunity to the government,” he said on Monday. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis should implement the ‘sage soyare’ notification with immediate effect and give Kunbi caste certificates accordingly, he added.
This would be Jarange-Patil’s sixth indefinite hunger strike since September 1, 2023, when police had baton-charged protesters at Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district.