Marathas Will Seek Quota In Other Backward Classes Category: Activist

Activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday claimed the agitation by Other Backward Classes activists for protecting their quota was "vindictive" and asserted Marathas would seek reservation under the OBC category.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Jarange also claimed the OBC agitation will help the Maratha community members to forget their differences and unite for their reservation demand.

Activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare have been sitting on a hunger strike at Wadigodri village in Jalna district since June 13, seeking an assurance from the government that the OBC quota will not be affected in view of the Maratha reservation demand.

In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category Jarange has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas.

Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the OBC category, and Mr Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits.

On June 13, Mr Jarange suspended his indefinite fast over the Maratha quota and set a deadline of one month before the Maharashtra government to accept the community's demands.

Speaking to reporters at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar where he is undergoing treatment, Mr Jarange on Tuesday said, "The ongoing agitation (of OBCs) is vindictive. We will not intensify our agitation or make it bigger because of them, but we will take reservation from the OBC category and that too from the current quota of 50 per cent." He said the OBC activists were agitating even as they have reservation.

"Then how much should we fight when we don't have any? This agitation (of OBCs) will help the people of Maratha community to forget their differences and unite for quota," he said.

"We have given one month (to the government) to fulfil our demands and there is no scope for any difference between the OBC and Maratha communities," Mr Jarange said.

Mr Hake and Mr Waghmare have said they are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota.

The OBC activists have been demanding scrapping of the government's draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of Maratha community members.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)