Resolve Maratha demands by Friday: Jarange-Patil warns Maha govt

Jalna (Maharashtra), June 13 (IANS) On the sixth day of his hunger strike, Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil on Thursday served an ultimatum to the Maharashtra government to decide on the pending Maratha demands by 5 p.m. on June 14.

Interacting with media persons at his agitation venue in Antaravali-Sarati village, a weak Jarange-Patil said, “My doors are always open for negotiations but if they (government) shut the doors then we shall also follow suit.”

He said that if the government chooses to disregard the Marathas and their demands then the Marathas will also ignore them in the elections.

Since June 12, the Maratha leader has started taking certain IV fluids and medicines as his health condition went on a sharp downslide on Tuesday, though he appeared fatigued.

Meanwhile, the state government will send a delegation of ministers Shambhuraj Desai and Tanaji Sawant along with MLA Rajendra Raut and MP Sandipan Bhumre to meet and discuss the pending issues, though the Shivba Sanghatana leader sounded unenthusiastic.

“We are always ready to talk with the government but the time for all discussions has passed and now it is time for some concrete action. We need decisions. I am always positive… If we don’t get it by tomorrow evening, then I shall announce my next phase of agitation,” declared Jarange-Patil.

Earlier this week, adopting an aggressive stance, he rattled both the ruling MahaYuti government and Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi with a threat to put up Maratha candidates in all the 288 constituencies for the October state Assembly elections.

In the past four days, MVA MPs from Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Congress including Bajrang Sonwane, Omraje Nimbalkar, Kalyan Kale, plus legislators, have met and expressed support to Jarange-Patil while blaming the MahaYuti of remaining indifferent to the Marathas issue.