On Wednesday, a division bench of Justice A S Gadkari and Justice Shyam C Chandak heard a plea filed by activist Gunratna Sadavarte, who asked the court to intervene in stopping Jarange-Patil’s march to Mumbai.
Sadavarte, who appeared in person, informed the court that Jarange-Patil, supported by three crore followers, offers a logistical issue to Mumbai, which has a capacity of less than one crore. The march has already had an impact in Pune, according to the petitioner, and he urges the court to intervene before a similar situation emerges in Mumbai. Jarange-Patil argues for Maratha community reservation in the OBC quota and intends to launch an indefinite hunger strike on January 26 in Mumbai, possibly in Azad Maidan or Shivaji Park.
Tens of thousands of people were expected to attend Jarange-Patil’s rally, which has been claimed as the largest in Maharashtra history. Jarange-Patil has refused the government’s request to halt the march and wait until February, when it plans to hold a special session to adopt a bill granting Maratha reservations.
CM’s response
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde stated that the administration was “positive” about Jarange-Patil’s requests. “We will make sure the reservation is legally viable. On Wednesday, Shinde remarked, “I appeal to Jarange-Patil to stop the agitation.” Following demonstrations, the state government awarded the community 16% quota in 2018, meeting a decades-old Maratha demand. The Bombay High Court reduced the quota to 13% in work and 12% in education, but the Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2021.
Comments 1