Maratha Reservation

Ambedkar recalled the question he raised during a yatra, which had sought clarity on political parties' stance

It is "almost clear now" the Maharashtra government will not give reservations to the Maratha community as it is only listening to the OBC groups, activist Manoj Jarange alleged on Friday. Speaking to reporters in his native Antarwali Sarati in Jalna, some 60 kilometres from here, he said the Eknath Shinde government is disrespecting the Maratha community. "The state government is listening to and giving time to only Other Backward Classes leaders. The Maratha community is disrespected. It is almost clear now the Maratha community will not be given reservation by the Maharashtra government. Therefore, we need to remove them (government)," Jarange claimed. Talking about upcoming assembly polls, he said a decision on fielding candidates will be taken after August 29. "I think there should be no alliance as such and we can think of fielding independent candidates. We will think about the social equations of the candidates," he said. In case poll "equations" are not favourable, then .

Uproarious scenes were witnessed in the Maharashtra assembly on Wednesday as BJP members criticised the opposition for boycotting the all-party meeting called by the government on the Maratha reservation issue the previous day. Amid slogan-shouting by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members and noisy scenes, the House was adjourned three times. Raising the issue in the Lower House, Ameet Satam (BJP) accused the opposition of playing politics over the quota issue. He asked the opposition to clarify its stand on the demand that Marathas be given reservation from the OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota. "The opposition only wants to create a rift between the two communities," he charged. Ashish Shelar (BJP) claimed the opposition backtracked at the last minute from attending the all-party meeting. Members of the treasury benches trooped into the well of the House, slamming the opposition. Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar accused the government of creating a social divide and .

No injustice will be done to Other Backward Classes or any other community while giving reservation to the Marathas, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured on Wednesday on the eve of the monsoon session of the state legislature. Holding a press conference here along with his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Shinde said the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance would not shower assurances on people, but the budget to be presented during the session -- last before the assembly elections -- will be beneficial for farmers, the youth and women. No injustice will be done to the OBCs or any other community while giving reservation to the Maratha community, he said, pointing out that the Mahayuti government convened a special session to give 10 per cent reservation to the Marathas earlier this year. While the Marathas led by Manoj Jarange are demanding reservation in the OBC category, OBC leaders including senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal are opposed to sharing reservation .

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Centre cannot be a mere spectator and it should take lead to resolve matters pertaining to the quota demand by the Maratha community and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Asked about the increasing Maratha-OBC conflict over the reservation issue in Maharashtra, Pawar said there is only one solution that the Centre should take the lead to resolve it and there is a need for amendments in law and the state and Centre's policies. The former Union minister was speaking to reporters at Baramati in Maharashtra's Pune district. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill granting a separate 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community under a separate category. However, the community has been demanding quota under the OBC grouping. Activist Manoj Jarange has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare (blood relatives) of Maratha commun

Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan on Wednesday said the demand by quota activist Maroj Jarange for the inclusion of the "sage soyare" term in the Maratha reservation notification will not withstand legal scrutiny. The term "sage soyare" in Marathi means through birth relations and relations by marriage. Speaking to the reporters in Pune, Mahajan accused the opposition of deriving political mileage from the Maratha reservation issue and asserted that it was the Devendra Fadnvais government which had granted the quota to the Maratha community without disturbing the allocation of other communities. "In the last 50 years, had anyone made efforts to give reservation to the Maratha community? (NCP-SP Chief) Sharad Pawar had even said there was no need to give reservation to Marathas," claimed the BJP leader, a confidant of Fadnavis. Mahajan noted that after the BJP-led government granted the reservation to the Maratha community, the subsequent Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government failed

Veteran OBC leader and Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has reiterated that the Marathas cannot be given reservation from the quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community. Talking to reporters on Monday, the state's food and civil supplies minister also renewed his demand for a caste census in the state. Bhujbal's statement has come amid the stir by quota activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare, who have been on hunger strike for the last six days. On Monday, a government delegation met Hake and Waghmare, urging them to end their fast, but they refused. The agitators said they are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota. Bhujbal said, "The Maratha community cannot be given reservation from the OBC quota. We are not saying this, but the past four commissions (on reservation) have stated the same. Even the Supreme Court said no to it." Now there is again a demand for reservation from the OBC (quota), he said, referring to the

Activist Manoj Jarange on Monday said the OBC leaders should focus on seeking reservation for the Dhangar community under the ST category instead of criticising the demand for Maratha quota. Speaking to reporters here, Jarange said the OBC leaders are "not our enemies" and Marathas would support the demand for reservation to the Dhangar (shepherd) community under the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. On June 13, Jarange suspended his indefinite fast over the Maratha quota, six days after launching it, and set a deadline of one month before the Maharashtra government to accept the community's demands. He made the announcement after Maharashtra minister and member of Maratha quota sub-committee Shambhuraj Desai and Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumare met him at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district and discussed the issue. Some leaders from the Other Backward Classes have opposed the Maratha quota under the OBC category. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature ...

Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday claimed the Congress was speaking against the interests of the Maratha community and would face consequences in the Maharashtra assembly polls due later this year. Speaking to reporters on the third day of his indefinite fast at Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna, Jarange reiterated his demand for implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and sought a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas. Newly-elected Congress MP from Jalna, Kalyan Kale, visited the village and met Jarange on Monday. Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits. In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separat

Much has changed five years down the line. The Shiv Sena has split and the AIMIM no longer has the support of Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi

Activist Manoj Jarange has accused the Maharashtra government of cheating Marathas over quota and declared that the community will back only those political leaders who genuinely support reservation for its members. The bill passed by the state legislature providing quota for Marathas in government jobs and education won't stand any legal scrutiny, Jarange claimed while addressing Sakal Maratha Samaj members at Udgir in Latur district on Wednesday. The activist also slammed Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging that he wished to crush the Maratha agitation by hook or by crook. The government has deceived Marathas. It passed the Maratha reservation bill which we never demanded. I know the bill won't stand any legal scrutiny. We want the implementation of sage soyare' (kin from family tree). We want reservation under the OBC category only, he said. With just days to go for the Lok Sabha polls in the state, which will be held in five phases between April 19 and May 20, Jara

Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday appealed to the Maratha community to choose candidates for contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as independents before March 30. The Maratha community holds sway over 17-18 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra, he claimed. With their influence, they can garner the support of not only Muslims and Dalit communities but also wider section of the society, Jarange said addressing a meeting of the Maratha community members, who had come from across the state, at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district. Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20 and votes will be counted on June 4. "I don't know politics and am not interested in it," Jarange said. He said the Maratha community members such choose candidates, irrespective of caste and religion and those not belonging to any political party, before March 30. A decision on fielding them as independe

Jalna collector Srikrushna Panchal in the order said Jarange announced on Sunday that he will go to Mumbai and agitate over his demand of reservation for the Maratha community

Quota activist Manoj Jarange has said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should not listen to Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and spell out why the notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas was not being implemented. Jarange made the remarks late Sunday night after CM Shinde said the activist must not test the patience of his government. Speaking in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district earlier on Sunday, Jarange alleged Fadnavis was trying to kill him. He also announced that he would march to Mumbai and protest outside the residence of the deputy CM. Jarange had also claimed that a poisoning attempt was made against him through saline, though he did not elaborate on it. He was speaking to reporters on the eve of the budget session of the Maharashtra legislature. Jarange later left from Antarwali Sarati and stopped at Bhamberi village in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar while on way to Mumbai. The Maharashtra legislature during a one-day special session last Tuesday ...

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday alleged that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was conspiring to sabotage protests staged by the community for reservation in government jobs and education. Addressing a gathering at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, Jarange claimed that Fadnavis was trying to defame him by roping in people to malign his image. When the lathi-charge happened during protests in Jalna last year, Fadnavis had to apologise. This hurt him deeply, so he is trying to sabotage the Maratha quota protest, the activist said. He claimed that the state government was run by Fadnavis, not Chief Minister Eknath Shinde or Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The activist alleged that Fadnavis was trying to threaten the Marathas in the state, and the move would backfire on him. He further said, Unfortunately, some Maratha leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were helping Fadnavis defame me. Jarange warned that he would begin a protest

The state government has convened a one-day special session of the state legislature for tabling and further consideration of this special Bill

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday tabled a bill in the state legislative assembly, proposing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in education and government jobs. The Maharashtra State Socially and Educationally Backward Bill 2024 also proposed that after the reservation comes into effect, its review could be taken after 10 years. A day-long special session of the state legislature on Maratha quota is currently underway here. Notably, the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on Friday submitted a report on its survey on the social, economic, and educational backwardness of the Maratha community. The massive exercise covered nearly 2.5 crore families. One of the key findings in the bill tabled by CM Shinde underscores that the population of the Maratha community in the state is 28 per cent. Out of the total Maratha families that are below poverty line, 21.22 per cent hold the yellow ration cards. It is higher than the state's average of 17.4 pe

The committee proposed a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, similar to that given in 2018 by the then-state government

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stressed on Friday that reservation to Marathas will be given according to the terms of the law