As Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s indefinite hunger strike entered its sixth day, his supporters on Thursday blocked major state and national highways and imposed a shutdown in at least three districts in the Marathwada region to ramp up pressure on the Maharashtra government.
He also demanded that the issuance of Kunbi certificates should begin immediately and gave the government two days to implement his demands. “We are open to talks, but the strike will not be called off until the GR is issued in this regard.
Jarange Patil, who met two delegations of the state government, said the authorities should issue a Government Resolution (GR) accepting all his demands before he ends his strike. The government can take two days, but after that we will start marching towards Mumbai, where the protest will be held on a large scale,” he said. He said a delegation of the ministers concerned would soon visit Antarwali Sarati with the GR.
BJP leader and legislator Prasad Lad, who met Jarange at Antarwali Sarati on Wednesday night, said the process of issuing Kunbi certificates would begin from Thursday.
His supporters in the Marathwada region, including Parbhani, Latur and Hingoli, have started marching towards Antarwali Sarati. There was a rasta roko on the Jalna-Hingoli highway and other highways on Thursday morning, a Jarange supporter said.
