Maratha quota agitation: Jarange-Patil cranks up pressure on Shinde govt.; Shinde Sena faction MP resigns in solidarity of quota stir
The Hindu
The activist, whose indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day, said he would further up the ante on the Maratha agitation after October 31.
Even as his health swiftly deteriorated, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Sunday remained firm on his resolution to continue his hunger strike, while warning the Eknath Shinde government it could either grant reservation to the Maratha community soon or face its wrath.
The activist, whose indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day, said he would further up the ante on the Maratha agitation after October 31, remarking that the ban on the entry of politicians across villages in Maharashtra by the Maratha community would remain in place unless the Shinde government acted quickly.
Even as Mr. Shinde expressed concern about Mr. Jarange-Patil’s health and hoped the activist would take a reasonable stance instead of acting in a stubborn manner, an MP from Mr. Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction - Hemant Patil - on Sunday announced his resignation in support of the Maratha agitation.
In a dramatic gesture, Mr. Hemant Patil, who represents the Hingoli Lok Sabha constituency, said he would be submitting his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
In his letter to Mr. Birla, Mr. Hemant Patil said the issue of Maratha reservation had long been hanging fire, remarking that the emotions of community regarding the quota issue were very intense.
“I am an activist fighting for the interests of the Maratha community and the farmers. Hence, I am resigning from my post on the issue of reservation,” wrote the MP.
Meanwhile, a visibly feeble Mr. Jarange-Patil, speaking from his protest site, Antarwali-Sarati village in Jalna district, said the Shinde government had only two options now, to give reservation immediately or face the wrath of the Maratha community.
No room for complacency till counting is completed, Chandrababu Naidu tells TDP-BJP-JSP contestants. The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance will register a comfortable victory in the general elections over the YSRCP, he says. Alleging that the YSRCP has conspired to create disturbances on the counting day, the TDP national president advises the chief counting agents and their teams to see to it that the officials adhere to norms related to counting.