Nagpur, Aug 30 (IANS) As the pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has announced that he won’t leave Mumbai until the Maharashtra government implements reservation for the Maratha community from the OBC quota, the community’s activists on Saturday launched an indefinite chain hunger strike in the state’s second capital Nagpur, which is the home turf of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The National President of the OBC Federation Babanrao Tayawade, who started the hunger strike on Saturday, declared that OBCs will not give in to pressure exerted by Jarange-Patil on the reservation issue.

“The National OBC Federation has made it clear that the Maratha community should not be given reservation within the framework of OBC reservation. Further, the Maratha community should not be given a Kunbi certificate at all. The state government should give a written guarantee regarding the earlier assurances so that the reservation of OBCs will not be affected due to the Maratha reservation process,” said Tayawade.

He further stated, “A chain hunger strike is being held to protect OBC reservation and it will not be called off unless the state government gives a written assurance that OBC reservation will not be affected while considering Maratha reservation. Now what solution will the state government come up with on this? It will be important to see.”

Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that reservation to the Maratha community will not be given from the OBC quota.

Deputy CM Eknath Shinde also stated that reservation to the Maratha community cannot be given by reducing the quota of OBCs or other communities or harming their interests, adding that the government’s role is to provide whatever fits within the framework of the law.

The government also provides the facilities that the OBC community is getting to the Maratha community. The government is still positive about whatever is right and within the norms.

“It is not possible to reduce or take away the OBC quota and give it to the Maratha community. The Maratha community is economically backward and the government is trying to ensure that the reservation given to them should be maintained,” remarked Dy CM Shinde.

–IANS

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