Mumbai: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Tuesday ended his five-day hunger strike at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, after the Maharashtra government accepted key demands related to the Maratha reservation issue.
While addressing the media, Manoj Jarange Patil said, "Today is Diwali for us as we have got what we wanted," speaking to thousands of supporters gathered at the protest site. He further added, "Maratha vijay zala, aj vijay zala, sukhi zala" (Marathas have emerged victorious today, and we are happy), as reported by news agency ANI.
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil was carried from his protest stage to an ambulance on Tuesday after he ended his five-day hunger strike at Azad Maidan, Mumbai. Jarange had been on a fast unto death, demanding a reservation for the Maratha community.
The hunger strike came to an end after the Maharashtra government assured him it would fulfil key demands, including the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas, a move that brings them under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, granting access to reservation benefits in education and government employment.
The 43-year-old activist broke his fast by accepting a glass of fruit juice from senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the state’s cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation. Visibly emotional, Jarange was seen in tears, surrounded by thousands of cheering supporters who celebrated the breakthrough.
Following the conclusion of his fast, Jarange was taken by ambulance for a medical check-up.
Earlier, Jarange had stated that he wanted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to be present for the fast-breaking in Azad Maidan in Mumbai. However, after learning that the leaders were out of Mumbai, he agreed to end his hunger strike following an appeal by Vikhe Patil, describing the day as “historic for Maharashtra.”
