New Delhi [India], August 31 : Mumbai's Azad Maidan has been witnessing thousands of people from the Maratha community protesting to press their demands for 10 per cent OBC reservation in government jobs and colleges.
The Marathas have been calling for a reservation demand for years. However, the protests have intensified after Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil went on a hunger strike recently and vowed not to drink water on the third day of his strike until his demands were met.
Patil's protest will enter its fourth day tomorrow. He remains adamant that he won't budge from the protest site until his demands are met.
The financial capital has witnessed significant disruptions in relation to traffic movement, especially in the south Mumbai area near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) station, which is right in front of the entry to Azad Maidan.
Regardless, the Mumbai Police has permitted Patil to carry out his protest for one more day.
The agitation has mounted pressure on the Mahayuti government, which has formed a 10-member ministerial committee led by Maharashtra Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to hold talks with stakeholders.
As the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and its leaders extend solidarity to the Maratha agitation, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) Maharashtra government has accused them of "politicising" the matter.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Sunday urged the BJP-led Mahayuti government to convene a special Assembly session to resolve the Maratha quota issue.
Sule appealed to the state government to uphold its slogan of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas.'
"I have been demanding that there should be a dialogue in a democracy. The (state) government has received such a huge mandate. I humbly request that the Chief Minister and the two Deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra convene an assembly session and take a decision immediately. 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vishwas' is their own line, right?" Sule told reporters.
Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) president Abu Asim Azmi also met Manoj Jarange Patil.
Earlier, NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar suggested a constitutional amendment to lift the 50 per cent cap on reservation, a view echoed by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
Responding to this, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar took a dig at Sharad Pawar, pointing out that leaders raising such suggestions had themselves been in the government for a long time.
"Those who are speaking now have themselves been in government for a long time, so please don't force us to get into all those things. All of them are respected and experienced leaders," Pawar told reporters in Pune earlier.
Attacking the centre, Sanjay Raut targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying he should personally meet Manoj Jarange Patil.
"The entire issue of reservations falls under the purview of the Home Ministry. He should leave his ego and take responsibility," Raut told reporters in Mumbai while adding that it was the responsibility of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to end the protest and speak directly with Jarange Patil at Azad Maidan.
Jarange Patil has been pressing to include all Marathas under the Kunbi category, a sub-caste classified under the OBC category, which will help the community avail of the benefits of reservation in government jobs and education.
Earlier on Friday, while addressing supporters, Patil accused the Mahayuti government of failing to address the community's demands. "If the government enters our territory, the Marathas will enter theirs. If you cause us trouble, we will cause you trouble when we come there," he warned.
As this happened, Ajit Pawar assured that the government is working on a "war footing" to resolve the issue regarding the Maratha quota demand.
Patil is known for his advocacy on Marathi reservation issues. He has urged supporters to rally peacefully and called on authorities to address community concerns regarding reservation policies. He has held multiple protest rallies and hunger strikes, demanding reservations for the Maratha community ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections.
After the agitation, on February 20, 2024, the Eknath Shinde-led government in the state brought a Bill to extend 10 per cent reservation to Marathas above the 50 per cent mark cap.
However, on May 5, 2021, the Supreme Court struck down reservations for the Maratha community in colleges, higher educational institutions, and jobs, after noting that there was no valid ground to breach the 50 per cent reservation while granting Maratha reservation.