- Manoj Jarange urged Marathas to join the Chalo Mumbai march on August 27
- The protest demands OBC reservation for Marathas in education and jobs
- Jarange will start the march from Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district
Activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday urged the members of the Maratha community across Maharashtra to join his 'Chalo Mumbai' march on August 27, calling it their "last" fight to seek reservation.
Addressing a rally at Manjarsumba in Beed district, he said the turnout should unsettle the government. "If not, it will feel the real pressure when we reach Mumbai. The fight will now shift to Mumbai," he said.
Mr Jarange has called for a protest at Azad Maidan in the country's financial capital from August 29, demanding reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
The activist said he would set out from his native place Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district on August 27.
"We will go to Mumbai and hold our agitation peacefully. This is our last fight, and we will not return without the Maratha quota," he said.
Mr Jarange also accused Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of provoking the Maratha community by creating "minor" hurdles. "Fadnavis should not use the police to trouble us. I'm coming to Mumbai and we will meet there," he said.
Instead of troubling the Maratha community members, the police should nab the killers of Mahadev Munde, he said. Munde, a resident of Parli in Beed, was abducted on October 9, 2023, and was found dead three days later. The local Crime Branch is probing the case.
The activist said he was compelled to plan his 'Chalo Mumbai' morcha.
"If the government gives us the quota, we have no interest in going to Mumbai. We will celebrate here itself," he said.
Urging the community to protest peacefully, he said, "We don't want to destroy the lives of our future generations. No one should run if anything goes wrong. If someone pelts stones, hand him over to the police. Those who hurl stones are not our people. It could be a plot by the government," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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