Maratha quota: Jarange's health worsens as indefinite fast enters 5th day

Jalna, Feb 14 (PTI) The health condition of Maratha quota agitation spearhead Manoj Jarange, whose indefinite fast entered the fifth day on Wednesday, is deteriorating, but he is not allowing doctors to examine him, an activist close to him said.

Jarange has been observing the indefinite fast at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district of Maharashtra demanding inclusion of the Maratha community into the Other Backward Class (OBC) grouping.

Talking to reporters from the protest site, Jarange warned the state government that in case he dies during his hunger strike, the members of the Maratha community would set Maharashtra on fire just the way Lord Hanuman did to Lanka.

Talking about his health condition, activist Kishor Markad said, "Jarange's indefinite fast has entered the fifth day and his health is deteriorating. His nose is bleeding, but he is not letting doctors examine him." He is neither consuming water not taking his medicines, he added.

Among other things, Jarange has sought that a special session of the Maharashtra legislature be convened to convert the draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas into a law.

Warning the government, Jarange said, "In Ramayana, Lord Hanuman set Lanka on fire with the tail. If I die during my protest, the Marathas will turn Maharashtra into Lanka." He also threatened that no public meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be allowed to be held in Maharashtra.

The activist appealed to his community members to observe a peaceful 'bandh' called by the Maratha outfits in Jalna on Wednesday.

Jarange accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar of deceiving the Marathas by failing to implement the draft notification on "sage soyre" or blood relatives and for not withdrawing cases filed against the Maratha protestors during the agitation last year.

He alleged that Ajit Pawar was supporting minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal even as the latter was against the inclusion of Marathas into the OBC category.

This is the fourth time in less than a year that Jarange has been observing a hunger strike demanding the inclusion of the Maratha community into the OBC grouping. PTI