The Crossbill News Desk
The Maharashtra government has reiterated that it remains committed to granting reservation to the Maratha community while assuring that the existing quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will remain untouched.
The assurance came after quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil ended his hunger strike late on Saturday (May 30) following talks with senior government representatives.
The development comes amid renewed pressure from Jarange-Patil, who has been demanding faster implementation of promises related to the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas based on records contained in the Hyderabad Gazette. At the same time, OBC organisations have voiced concerns that any move affecting their reservation benefits could trigger statewide protests.
Speaking on the issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The government is committed to Maratha reservation. At the same time, it has ensured the OBC quota is not diluted. You don’t take reservation from one community to give to another,” The Indian Express reported.
He emphasised that any decision taken by the government must withstand legal and constitutional scrutiny.
“While making a decision, the government has to ensure it withstands constitutional and legal scrutiny,” Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis also pointed to various welfare initiatives undertaken for the Maratha community and reiterated the administration’s commitment to addressing their concerns within the framework of the law. The Hyderabad Gazette, which remains central to the debate, is used to establish the credentials of Marathas as Kunbis and thereby facilitate access to reservation benefits under the OBC category.
Earlier in the day, Jarange-Patil called off his fast after meeting senior BJP leader and minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who heads the government’s Maratha reservation subcommittee. Vikhe-Patil, accompanied by BJP MLC Prasad Lad, assured the activist that the government remained committed to the Maratha reservation issue.
Despite ending the protest, Jarange-Patil warned that he would launch another indefinite fast if the government failed to fulfil its commitments. The administration moved swiftly after he began his hunger strike on Saturday morning, with Vikhe-Patil personally appealing to him to withdraw the agitation.
Unlike his prolonged 17-day hunger strike in August 2023, the latest protest lasted around 15 hours.
The assurance came after quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil ended his hunger strike late on Saturday (May 30) following talks with senior government representatives.
The development comes amid renewed pressure from Jarange-Patil, who has been demanding faster implementation of promises related to the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas based on records contained in the Hyderabad Gazette. At the same time, OBC organisations have voiced concerns that any move affecting their reservation benefits could trigger statewide protests.
Speaking on the issue, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The government is committed to Maratha reservation. At the same time, it has ensured the OBC quota is not diluted. You don’t take reservation from one community to give to another,” The Indian Express reported.
He emphasised that any decision taken by the government must withstand legal and constitutional scrutiny.
“While making a decision, the government has to ensure it withstands constitutional and legal scrutiny,” Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis also pointed to various welfare initiatives undertaken for the Maratha community and reiterated the administration’s commitment to addressing their concerns within the framework of the law. The Hyderabad Gazette, which remains central to the debate, is used to establish the credentials of Marathas as Kunbis and thereby facilitate access to reservation benefits under the OBC category.
Earlier in the day, Jarange-Patil called off his fast after meeting senior BJP leader and minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, who heads the government’s Maratha reservation subcommittee. Vikhe-Patil, accompanied by BJP MLC Prasad Lad, assured the activist that the government remained committed to the Maratha reservation issue.
Despite ending the protest, Jarange-Patil warned that he would launch another indefinite fast if the government failed to fulfil its commitments. The administration moved swiftly after he began his hunger strike on Saturday morning, with Vikhe-Patil personally appealing to him to withdraw the agitation.
Unlike his prolonged 17-day hunger strike in August 2023, the latest protest lasted around 15 hours.
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