Maratha quotas: Chhatrapati Prince backs Jarange-Patil; warns Maha govt

Jalna (Maharashtra), Sep 23 (IANS) With Manoj Jarange-Patil’s health worsening, Yuvraj Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje on Monday warned that if anything happens to the Shivba Sanghatana leader, the ruling MahaYuti government would be responsible. 

Publicly backing Jarange-Patil, the Chhatrapati also called upon the Maratha leader “to come to power” if the government is not able to give justice to his cause.

The prince reached here from Kolhapur to meet and speak with Jarange-Patil who is on his sixth indefinite hunger strike for the last seven days.

His health has been steadily declining, though he is on medication for the past couple of days.

The Yuvraj Chhatrapati also lashed out at the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the turn of events leading to Jarange-Patil’s non-stop agitation for the last one year, at the same venue since August 2023.

“The government is sitting cosy in an air-conditioned environment… The Opposition has remained a mute spectator… In this situation, it’s the people, the Marathas, who are suffering,” said Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje from the dais, sitting beside Jarange-Patil.

Expressing concern over Jarange-Patil’s health, he said that if the government cannot take the decision in the Cabinet, then they should place it before a special session of the Assembly and implement the Maratha quotas.

Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje added how he was acquainted with Jarange-Patil for many years when he closely observed that the latter has been working honestly and selflessly for the cause of Maratha quotas.

“I want to inform the government that the Marathas were included in the reservations granted in the past by the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj,” said Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje, referring to the situation during his grandfather’s reign.

After arrival, he met the aides of Jarange-Patil and took an update of his health status, as hundreds of his supporters thronged the marquee set up in Antarvali-Sarati village.

In a related development, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar on Monday urged the MahaYuti government to seriously consider the demands of Jarange-Patil on the Maratha quotas, as the Maharashtra Assembly elections loom closer.

Jarange-Patil’s clear demands are the implementation of the ‘sage-soyare (family bloodline)’ notification, giving Marathas reservation from the OBC quotas, a government notification stating that Marathas and Kunbis are the same, plus other related demands including withdrawal of police cases filed against the Marathas for taking part in the quotas campaign.