Maratha quota stir: Maratha outfit calls for bandh in Thane on September 11

Representational Image. Pic/PTI

A 'bandh' has been called by a Maratha outfit in Maharashtra's Thane city on September 11 to condemn the recent police lathi-charge against agitators in Jalna, reported news agency PTI.

Local leaders from the opposition parties in the state have declared support to the 'bandh' called by Sakal Maratha Morcha backed by the Sambhaji Brigade, reported PTI.

At a meeting of the opposition parties held in Thane on Saturday, local leaders declared their support for the bandh and appealed to citizens of Thane to participate in it.

According to PTI, the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) city unit president Suhas Desai, his Shiv Sena (UBT) counterpart Pradeep Shinde, MNS leaders Ravindra More, Avinash Jadhav, Maratha Kranti Morcha's city chief Ramesh Ambre and Congress' city president Vikrant Chavan attended the meeting.

Earlier this month, an agitation seeking a reservation for the Maratha community turned violent at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district, leading to several people, including dozens of police personnel, getting injured.

Police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob that allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on a hunger strike as part of the quota stir to the hospital.

Maratha outfits have since been staging agitations in different parts of the state over their various demands.

Quota activist Manoj Jarange hardened his position on Saturday asserting that his fast will go on till Marathas in Maharashtra get Kunbi certificates under the OBC category and threatened to stop taking water and medicines from Sunday.

Jarange, whose hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district for reservation for the community in government jobs and education entered 12th day, also rejected the fresh outcome of talks held with a delegation of Maratha community leaders and the government late Friday night in Mumbai.

Earlier this week, the Maharashtra cabinet decided that Kunbi caste certificates would be issued to those Marathas hailing from the Marathwada region who possess revenue or education documents from the Nizam era that recognise them as Kunbis.

Announcing the cabinet decision, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he would also speak with his Telangana counterpart for any help in this matter. Based on the cabinet decision, a Government Resolution (GR) was issued on September 7, but it failed to placate Jarange.

Kunbis, a community associated with agriculture, are grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Maharashtra and enjoy reservation benefits in education and government jobs. The Marathwada region was part of the erstwhile Hyderabad kingdom before it became part of Maharashtra.

CM Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis Ajit Pawar met a delegation of Maratha leaders on Friday night following which a sealed envelope was sent to Jarange. However, he was not pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

(With inputs from PTI)