After 17 days, pro-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange ended his hunger strike on Wednesday after Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde met him at the protest site in Jalna. Visuals showed the Chief Minister, surrounded by his ministerial colleagues, offering the activist juice to drink.
Jarange has been on a hunger strike to press for the demand for the Maratha reservation since August 29 at Antarwali Sarati village.
Speaking on the occasion, Shinde announced that his government is committed to providing reservation to the Maratha community. “Manoj Jarange’s fight is not for any personal demand and that is why it received so much support from the community. In the past, the government provided reservation, but it could not survive in the Supreme Court,” Shinde said.
Shinde was scheduled to meet Jarange on Wednesday but had not gone ahead with the plans.
Speaking to reporters late Tuesday night, Jarange had said that he wanted Shinde to visit him so that he could withdraw the fast. He had made the demand after speaking to CM Shinde over call.
Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra government to ensure that law and order was maintained and the “health” of the protesters too was not harmed.
A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Arun Pednekar was hearing a PIL filed by one Nilesh Shinde regarding the ongoing protests by members of the Maratha community.
On September 1, police had lathi-charged a gathering at Antarwali Sarati village in Latur village, where Jarange is on a hunger strike, leading to protests in several parts of the state. Following the incident, the state home department on Tuesday issued orders suspending Jalna district Additional Superintendent of Police Rahul Khade and Ambad tehsil Sub Divisional Police Officer Mukund Aghav for lathi-charging protestors.