Maharashtra govt has time till Dec 24 to give Maratha quota, 80% of fight won: Jarange

Parbhani: Asserting that 80 per cent of the battle for Maratha reservation had been won and the fight was in its final stages, quota activist Manoj Jarange on Friday said the Maharashtra government has just two days left to fulfil the demand.

Addressing a well attended rally in Selu in Parbhani district in the state's Marathwada region, Jarange asked the masses to exercise caution and said time is apt for the Maratha community to secure reservation.

"Eighty per cent of the battle is won. Our fight is in its final stages," Jarange said.

Jarange had undertaken an indefinite hunger strike twice this year to demand reservation for the Maratha community. He said the government was first given 40 days to address the issue, but nothing happened. Later, the government was given time till December 24 to address the issue.

If the government failed to address the issue by then (December 24), the community will march towards Mumbai and tighten the 'economic' noose of the state.

"The government still has two days left. If it is not able to address the issue, then we will announce our next course of action on December 23," Jarange said.

Underlining that any community which wants reservation in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category must be socially backward, Jarange said the Maratha community has fulfilled all such norms but is yet to get reservation.

Those who did not meet the criteria have got reservation, he alleged.