Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil resumes march from Beed on second day of yatra
Jan 21, 2024
Beed (Maharashtra) [India], January 21 : Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, who resumed his march on the second day from the Beed district of Maharashtra, said that they do not have any option but to go to Mumbai.
"We don't have any other option than to go to Mumbai. Today is the second day of the padayatra. Nearly 15 lakh people joined the padayatra yesterday. We have to ask some of them to go back to avoid inconvenience...," Patil said on Sunday.
Patil said that on January 25 and 26, Mumbai will be filled with Maratha people and they will not walk back from there without reservations.
"...but one thing is sure, on January 25 evening and January 26, Mumbai will be full of Maratha people and the whole of Mumbai will become Bhagva (saffron). Our community will go in full strength. One thing is sure that we will not back from here without taking reservations at whatever cost..we will not take our step back," Patil said.
The Maratha leader said that they are up for discussion but the government is already aware of their demands.
"...our door was never closed for discussion...I don't have anything to say. The government knows everything already, what is our demand...," Patil said.
Patil said that Kunabi Certificates will be given to all Maratha community members who have proof of being a Kunbi.
"The government must immediately give Kunbi certificate to all Maratha community members whose proof of being Kunbi has been identified," he said.
Patil said that a march has been scheduled from Beed to Ahmednagar on the second day of his foot march.
Maratha reservation protests reignited in Maharashtra on Friday as Manoj Jarange Patil led a march to Mumbai demanding immediate implementation of the Maratha reservation.
The Supreme Court has posted for hearing on January 24 a curative petition filed by the Maharashtra government challenging its May 5, 2021 judgment, which had held the Maratha reservation law unconstitutional.
The curative petition is the last chance available to the people or parties in the case after the review petition is dismissed.
On May 5, 2021, the Supreme Court had struck down reservations for the Maratha community in colleges, higher educational institutions, and jobs, after noting that there was no valid ground to breach 50 per cent reservation while granting Maratha reservation.
Moreover, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that a special session will be called to discuss the Maratha reservation in February 2024 and assured that no injustice will be done to any other community while giving reservation to the Maratha community.
