Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday contacted fasting activist Manoj Jarange, who is on an indefinite hunger strike in Jalna district demanding Kunbi (OBC) caste certificates for all eligible Marathas. Jarange has set a September 12 deadline, warning that he will march to Mumbai and intensify agitation if the government does not meet his demands.
Fadnavis said the state government is prepared to discuss demands that are legally viable, constitutionally valid and do not contravene Supreme Court orders. He added that officials are attending a farmer event in Parbhani to engage with demonstrators and that the government remains committed to resolving the issue within the legal framework.
Jarange, who has staged multiple fasts previously, targeted Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Jadhav and state minister Sanjay Shirsat, accusing them of organising a Parbhani programme that he claims mocks the Maratha community. He urged the cancellation of the event, demanded immediate issuance of Kunbi certificates based on 5.8 million historical records, suspension of caste‑certificate verification, reservation based on the Satara Gazette, withdrawal of police cases against quota protesters, and provision of government jobs and compensation to families of those who died in earlier agitations.
Maratha Kranti Morcha state coordinator Dr Sanjay Lakhe Patil said minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil suggested caste verification committees were unnecessary, labeling the suggestion “shocking, unconstitutional and illegal” and citing a Supreme Court ruling that mandates independent scrutiny committees for caste and tribal certificates.
