Will sit on fast if Maratha community does not get quota benefits, warns Jarange

Mumbai: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday said he would undertake a fast from June 5, a day after Lok Sabha results are announced, if the Maharashtra government fails to give the community reservation benefits.

He was speaking to reporters after paying tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar on the latter's 133rd birth anniversary.

Jarange slammed Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said police continues to register cases against Maratha quota agitators across the state even for incidents that took place four months ago. Fadnavis handles the home portfolio in the Eknath Shinde government.

"If the government fails to give reservation benefits to the Maratha community, I will sit on hunger strike from June 5. We will start a fresh agitation from June 6. We will also start preparing for Assembly elections (to be held in the second half of the year)," Jarange said.

The Mahav Vikas Aghadi government did not give us reservation and the Shinde government has also betrayed the community, he alleged.

All these parties have used the Maratha community for the past 40 years, Jarange claimed.

Jarange had sat on fast in Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district in August-September and October-November last year, and had called off these stirs after the government promised to give quota to the Maratha community.