Maratha Quota Stir: Maharashtra CM Shinde assures concrete decision today, Manoj Jarange ends hunger strike

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday told activist Manoj Jarange Patil that a concrete decision will be taken in today's cabinet meeting regarding giving Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community. 

He also said that it is necessary to resolve the issue of the Maratha reservation legally and for this, the government has filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court, according to ANI reports.

After a satisfactory discussion with CM Shinde, Jarange Patil who is on a hunger strike unto death demanding reservation for the Maratha community consumed water. 

“The government has filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court for Maratha reservation. Therefore, I am hopeful that the Maratha community will get the reservation soon,” Patil said. 

The agitation over the Maratha reservation issue intensified after activist Manoj Jarange launched the indefinite fast as part of the second phase of the stir. He was on a hunger strike from August 29 to September 14 and called off his agitation after the government assured him to look into his quota demand.

A series of incidents of violence was witnessed in Maharashtra's Beed district during the ongoing agitation for Maratha quota on Monday evening. Police have arrested 49 people in connection with the violence in Beed, an official said on Tuesday.

A curfew has been imposed in Maharashtra's Dharashiv district after incidents of violence during the ongoing agitation for the Maratha reservation. The order has been issued under section 144 (2) of the CrPC, the local administration said.

District Collector Sachin Ombase on Monday said the assembly of more than five people is not allowed during the curfew period. The curfew is imposed in the district till further orders. The order would be applicable to schools, colleges, and shops in Dharashiv.

A group of people protesting over the Maratha reservation issue allegedly torched the office of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Prakash Solanke in Beed City on fire on Monday evening. 

This comes amidst an indefinite fast by activist Manoj Jarange who sat on an indefinite fast on October 25 at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district.