Marathas threaten 'jail bharo andolan'; demand CM Fadnavis’ resignation

The Sakal Maratha Samaj on Saturday demanded the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his minister Chandrakant Patil and threatened ‘jail bharo andolan’ if their demands were not met.

“We demand apology and resignation from CM and minister Chandrakant Patil. We also demand Rs 50 Lakh compensation for families of deceased and action against cops who baton charged at women. If these demands are not met we'll launch 'jail bharo andolan' from August 1,” ANI quoted the Sakal Maratha Samaj as saying.

The Marathas in Maharashtra are demanding reservation in jobs and education for their community. They even held protests across the state over their demands. However, the protests turned violent after the deaths of two agitators, prompting them to call off their stir.

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They were also angry with CM Fadnavis and demanding his apology for his “false” allegations that some members from the community were planning violence at Pandharpur town in Solapur district, where the chief minister was earlier scheduled to perform puja at a temple on ‘Ashadhi Ekadashi’.

The Maharashtra chief minister on Saturday called an all-party meeting on the issue of reservation to the Maratha community, which comprises 30 per cent of the state’s total population.

Reacting to the all-party meet, the Maratha Samaj said they didn’t trust the BJP-led state government and wanted an immediate decision on the issue.

“We don't trust the Govt. They should take a decision, we don't want any further discussions with them,” the Maratha Samaj said.

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