Manoj Jarange-Patil sets Dec 24 deadline for Maharashtra govt

Following his withdrawal from a hunger strike, Manoj Jarange-Patil, a prominent advocate for Maratha reservation, has set a new deadline of December 24, 2023, instead of January 2, 2024.
The Maharashtra state government has swiftly initiated various approaches to address the demand for reservations for the Maratha community, which constitutes 33 percent of the state’s 13 crore population.
After discontinuing his fast-unto-death upon meeting with a government delegation in Antarwali Sarathi village, Ambad tehsil, Jalna district, Jarange-Patil was admitted to a hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for medical attention and check-ups.
Medical experts have recommended five to six days of medical care for Jarange-Patil.
In pursuit of his well-being and the fulfillment of the Maratha reservation demand, his family members, including his wife, daughter, and sister, are currently on a pilgrimage to Shree Tulja Bhavani Temple in Tuljapur, Dharashiv district.
Manoj Jarange-Patil stated from his hospital room, “The deadline we have given to the government is December 24, for the issuance of Kumbi caste certificates to the Marathas, enabling them to avail benefits under the OBC category. We have provided them with a clear time-bound deadline. Although the government delegation requested a two-month extension, they may have assumed the deadline to be January 2. However, a slight adjustment of seven to eight days does not significantly affect our objectives.”Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his gratitude to Justice M G Gaikwad (Retd), Justice Sunil Shukre (Retd), Advocate Himanshu Sachdev, and others who formed part of the delegation that met with Jarange-Patil.
CM Shinde also extended his appreciation to Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, as well as four ministerial colleagues, namely Sandipan Bhumare, Dhananjay Munde, Atul Save, Uday Samant, and MLA Bachchu Kadu for facilitating constructive discussions.
Following Jarange-Patil’s decision to end his hunger strike, Shinde engaged with the senior leadership of Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP to determine the future course of action.
“Within the next two months, the verification of Kunbi records throughout the state will be expedited to provide Maratha community members with the necessary certificates. We have already commenced issuing certificates after scrutinizing Kunbi records. To date, we have identified 13,514 relevant records, which is a significant step forward,” Shinde revealed. He also acknowledged the commendable efforts of the committee chaired by Justice Sandeep Shinde (Retd).
The next significant task for Maharashtra CM Shinde is to pursue a curative petition in the Supreme Court and engage in deliberations during the upcoming winter session of the Maharashtra legislature scheduled to take place in Nagpur.