Maratha youths ending lives as Manoj Jarange is creating confusion: OBC activist

Two activists whose indefinite fast over the OBC quota entered the eighth day on Thursday have alleged that Maratha youths are ending their lives due to confusion reportedly created by activist Manoj Jarange reported the PTIThey also accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of ignoring their protest as per the PTILaxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare have been agitating at Wadigodri village in Jalna district in Maharashtra demanding that OBC reservation not be dilutedThey are opposed to Jaranges demand over implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare blood relatives of Maratha community members Kunbi an agrarian group falls under the OBC category and Manoj Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas thus making them eligible for quota in government jobs and education according to the PTIHake said the Maratha community might be economically disadvantaged but they are not socially backwardThe reservation criteria pertain to those who are socially backward said Hake suggesting that Marathas should pursue schemes for their economic development with the government the news agency reported on ThursdayJarange is creating confusion and because of that Maratha youths are committing suicide over reservation Manoj Jarange is comparing Marathas to OBC communities Hake saidThe OBC activists have been demanding the scrapping of the sage soyare draft notificationHake also alleged that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was ignoring their protestThe chief minister has shut his eyes and ears to our protest he saidHe said Guardian Minister Atul Save Rajya Sabha member Bhagwat Karad and newly elected Aurangabad MP Sandipan Bhumre had met them on Monday not as government representatives but in their personal capacityEven Jalna Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal who visited them on Wednesday night was silent about the governments attention to their protestRejecting the charge the collector told reporters that minister Save had gone to meet the fasting OBC activists on behalf of the chief minister He said the health condition of the two was deteriorating and they had tried to persuade them to seek treatmentA team of doctors and a cardiac van ambulance have been deputed at the protest site he saidThe collectors also appealed to OBC members who have been blocking roads in the district to stage their protests peacefully and democraticallyMeanwhile Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar met Hake and Waghmare at Wadigodri to extend his supportAmbedkar said the government has failed to address the concerns of both Marathas and OBC members This could lead to a confrontation between the OBC and the Maratha communities he saidNo Maratha leader speaks on the OBC protest They are just watching There should be efforts to stop any potential confrontation Maratha leaders should come forward to calm both communities Ambedkar saidManoj Jarange had suggested on Wednesday that the state government might be supporting some agitations to avoid addressing the demand for a Maratha quota under the OBC categorywith PTI inputs