Maratha Quota Stir: 'Show Me The GR, Will Vacate By 9 PM' — Jarange Patil On Govt's Two-Month Timeline

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil agreed on Tuesday to a two-month deadline by the Maharashtra government to formally recognise Marathas and Kunbis as the same community.

Patil, who has been protesting in Mumbai since the past week along with thousands of his supporters, said he would vacate the city by 9 pm if the government resolution on the two-month timeline is submitted to him. The activist made these remarks while addressing the gathering at Azad Maidan.

The Maharashtra government has conceded to the primary demand of protesters by agreeing to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, paving the way for Kunbi certificates for Marathas.

This comes as three senior Maharashtra government ministers visited Azad Maidan to initiate talks with Patil over his demands.

According to him, the government has pledged to provide compensation within a week to the families of those that lost their lives during the quota agitation. He also added that the state will withdraw the cases filed against the protesters involved in the stir.

Patil had intensified his agitation over the last week for reservation to press for the community’s inclusion into the Other Backward Classes category.

Recognising all Marathas as Kunbis, an agrarian caste already listed as OBCs, is at the centre of the demands of the agitation. This will make them eligible for quotas in education and government jobs.

The Bombay High Court, while hearing the case on Tuesday, adjourned the matter till Wednesday on the basis of compliance with earlier orders. The court took this stance on the request of Satish Maneshinde, lawyer for Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil.

Earlier on Tuesday, security personnel removed Maratha quota protesters from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus premises, which they had been occupying for the last four days.

On Monday, the court took a stance against violations of the order regarding protests that came out on Aug. 26, and directed all the protesters to vacate all places in Mumbai, except for the designated place, that is Azad Maidan, by 4 p.m. on Sept. 2.