Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday said that he and his supporters would reach Mumbai after passing through Nagpur, Ahmednagar, Pune and Panvel in Raigad district of Maharashtra, reported the PTI.

Manoj Jarange, who undertook indefinite fasts in August-September and October-November, had set a deadline of December 24 for the Maharashtra government to give quota to the community. Later, he said he would lead an “indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan” in south Mumbai.

“The march will start from Antarwali Sarati in Jalna on January 20 and will pass through villages like Padalshingi, Madalmoi and enter Nagpur from Matori. It will pass through Pathardi, Karanji Ghat, Nagar and enter Pune district from Supa. It will proceed to Wagholi, Kharadi, Chandannagar and move towards Mumbai via Lonavala, Khandala and Panvel,” Manoj Jarange said in a press conference in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, according to the PTI.

“Later, it will go to Azad Maidan from Vashi through Chembur. The vehicles that are coming with each unit (of marchers) should be equipped with necessities like food and shelter. There should be two volunteers from the vehicle that will look after the needs of the team walking towards Mumbai,” he added, as per the PTI.

The march must be peaceful and anyone trying to spoil the atmosphere must be handed over to the police, Manoj Jarange reiterated.

Jarange asked people of Mumbai to take part in the quota agitation in large numbers and urged them to help those who come from outside to take part.

Meanwhile, around ten lakh vehicles carrying the provisions needed for the agitators will head for Mumbai on January 20, Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange said on Tuesday. Jarange has announced that he would launch another hunger strike, his third, to press the demand for reservation for the Maratha community in Mumbai from January 20.

“Some ten lakh vehicles will head for Mumbai, carrying things that we will need. People from nearby districts will come to Antarwali Sarati (his village in Jalna district) and we will start walking towards Mumbai,” he told a news channel while talking about preparations for the new round of the agitation. “The Maratha community will go (to Mumbai) in groups. Each group will have 30 to 40 thousand people,” he added.

(with PTI inputs)

Source link