PUNE: OBC activists on Friday announced a statewide protest from Sept 1 to counter Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange’s announcement to go on an indefinite hunger strike from Aug 29.Leading OBC activists, including Laxman Hake, Mangesh Sasane and Mrunal Dhole Patil, held a meeting in the city and finalised their ‘Chalo Mumbai’ agitation, appealing community members to join the stir.They said meetings would be held in various districts to urge community members to join the protest next month.“The Maharashtra govt has failed in protecting the OBC reservation. As representatives of the community, we will start the ‘Chalo Mumbai’ agitation from Sept 1 to put pressure on govt to safeguard the OBC quota,” Hake said.Jarange has already issued an ultimatum to state govt to implement the pending demands he has raised for the Maratha reservation.OBC activists are against Jarange’s views, claiming that his demands were “unconstitutional”.They were of the view that if govt accepted his demands, it would have an “adverse impact on the existing quota for the OBC community”.Hake said, “Whenever Jarange targeted OBC politicians, the community came in their support. But the politicians have not taken any stand in safeguarding the community’s quota. There are nine ministers from the OBC category in the existing cabinet. They have, however, silent on the injustice to the community. We will meet each one of them and seek their answers on behalf of the community.”Activist Sasane said Jarange wants govt to issue Kunbi certificates to the entire Maratha community without any validation.“The demand is constitutionally wrong. We will challenge in court some Kunbi certificates issued by govt to the Maratha community in court. Besides the protests on streets, we will fight a legal battle to safeguard the OBC quota.”
