Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh activists protest in Chandrapur, say Marathas must not be given quota under OBC category

The Maratha quota issue returned to centre stage when the police on Sept 1 baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati village after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Manoj Jarange, an activist on hunger strike over the quota issue, to a hospital.

Some activists of the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh on Monday held a hunger strike in front of the collector's office complex in Chandrapur in Maharashtra to oppose the inclusion of the Maratha community in the OBC category for reservation purposes.

The Maratha quota issue returned to centre stage when the police on September 1 baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Manoj Jarange, an activist on hunger strike over the quota issue, to a hospital.

Several persons, including 40 policemen, were injured and some 15 buses were set ablaze.

The Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh functionaries said the state government must carry out a 'caste census'.