Maharashtra Congress releases video, asks if CM Shinde is threatening Jarange

The Maharashtra Congress on Monday accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of issuing a threat to Manoj Jarange and asked if he would be take responsibility if something happened to the Maratha quota activistThe Congress released a video on social media platform X in which Shinde can be purportedly heard saying if you go out of limit karyakram karto me I will fix you Is this a threat chief minister Will the chief minister be responsible if anything happens to Jarange the Congress asked on XJarange who is spearheading the Maratha quota agitation for the past several months on Sunday raised the hackles of the state government after he made damning allegations against Deputy Chief Minister Devendra FadnavisShinde while talking to reporters on the eve of the Maharashtra legislatures interim budget session had asked Jarange not to test the patience of the state government by protesting again and againMeanwhile Jarange Monday announced he is withdrawing his 17dayold fast undertaken over the Maratha quota issue but insisted he would continue his agitation until the Maharashtra government starts issuing Kunbi caste certificates to extended family members of people already having such documents thereby allowing them to avail reservation benefitsA curfew was imposed in Ambad taluka of Jalna district where Jarange was on an indefinite hunger strike since February 10 while Internet services were suspended on Monday in Jalna Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Beed districts from 6 am to 4 pm to maintain law and order in view of the Maratha quota agitation officials saidThe decision by Jarange who has launched fast multiple times since August 2023 came a day after he announced a march to Mumbai to press for his demands related to quota in jobs and education for the Maratha community and coincided with the start of the budget session of the state legislature in MumbaiAt a special session last week the state legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent separate reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs Jarange sitting on the hunger strike at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district however insisted on quota for the Marathas under the Other Backward Classes OBC category and had continued his fastAlthough I am suspending my agitation hunger strike today there will be 3 to 4 youths who would sit here and fast every day for our demands I will also visit some villages and explain my stand to them They could not come to meet me here at Antarwali Sarati village because of restrictions imposed by the home department he saidAsked about police complaints filed against him over the quota stir the activist appeared unfazed If they want to prosecute me I have no issues but by doing so they will invite trouble People would get angry and the CM and the home minister would face consequences It is their call now he saidJaranges associate Kishor Markad said the 40yearold activist soon after ending his hunger strike was admitted to a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for medical treatment as the prolonged fast has adversely affected his healthA state transport bus was set on fire at Tirathpuri village under Ambad tehsil police said A curfew was imposed in Ambad taluka to prevent any law and order issue in view of the ongoing agitation for Maratha reservation led by Jarange as per an order issued by Jalna collector Srikrushna PanchalThere is a possibility that quota supporters may arrive at Antarwali Sarati village to stop Jarange from going to Mumbai Due to the huge crowd there is a possibility that traffic on DhuleMumbai highway and tehsils near Ambad may be affected the order mentionedThis may impact peace and create law and order issues Hence a curfew has been imposed by the district collector in Ambad taluka from Monday midnight till further orders it saidJarange on Sunday night left Antarwali Sarati and reached nearby Bhamberi village However on Monday morning the activist returned to Antarwali Sarati and started taking medical treatmentPersonnel of the state reserve police force were deployed in Ambad Antarwali Sarti and Bhamberi villages to maintain law and orderInternet services were suspended in Jalna Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Beed districts from 6 am to 4 pm to avoid any untoward incident due to rumours on social media platforms an official said quoting an order of the state home departmentJarange has been booked in two cases after his supporters staged demonstrations without permission and blocked roads at two different locations in Beed district last week police saidIn both instances Jarange was not present at the spots but cases were registered against him because protesters took to the streets on his appeal an official saidAbout 80 people were booked on charges of unlawful assembly disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant wrongful restraint and section 135 of the Maharashtra Police ActMeanwhile the Bombay High Court on Monday said the Maharashtra government cannot remain a mute spectator amid the Maratha quota protests and had powers to maintain law and orderA division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Shyam Chandak said the government does not require orders from the court to control the situation The bench was hearing a petition filed by advocate Gunaratan Sadavarte against the protests by Jarange and his supportersJarange has been demanding OBC tag for the Marathas and implementation of a draft notification issued by the state government last month for issuing certificates to blood relatives of eligible Kunbi Marathas The Kunbi an agrarian group falls under the OBC category and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas thus making them eligible for quota benefitsThe activist has also said the Maratha quota bill may not pass legal testChief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday evening warned the Maratha quota activist asking him not to test the patience of the state government after Jarange levelled certain allegations against deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis who holds the home portfolio With inputs from PTI