On the sixth day of his indefinite hunger strike, the health of agitating leader Manoj Jarange-Patil slid further as Marathas became more aggressive in different parts of the state, here on Monday.
A visibly feeble Jarange-Patil, who is off water or medication, was seen lying with his anxious supporters around him at a stage in his village Antaravali-Sarati.
He was unable to sit for long with a microphone in his hand, so he lay down while attempting to speak with the media, his hands were trembling, dark circles were visible around his eyes and weakness was written all over him.
The state government cabinet sub-committee on Marathas will have a crucial meeting in the day and is likely to make some announcements.
Meanwhile, at least nine bus depots in Nanded will remain shut on Monday in support of the Maratha quotas, at least six government buses were pelted with stones in Dharashiv (formerly, Osmanabad district), and another four buses in Jalna, and the vehicles of two tehsildar in Beed were attacked with one badly damaged and another set afire.
In an embarrassment for the government, some unidentified persons allegedly smeared black-paint on posters heralding the ‘Government to the Doorstep’ event scheduled in Yavatmal which Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is scheduled to inaugurate.
His son and MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde cancelled his proposed visit to Nashik on Monday as Marathas have banned leaders of all political parties from entering their villages or towns.
The CM and several of his cabinet colleagues have reiterated that the government is committed to giving Maratha quotas, but would need more time to make it legally fool-proof.
Several leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party, National Congress Party (AP), the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) have tasted the ire of the ban imposed by an estimated over 4,000 villages in different districts across the state.
Jarange-Patil warned on Sunday that in case his ‘heart stops beating', then even the ‘state government will stop breathing’.
A NCP (SP) group called on Governor Ramesh Bais on Sunday demanding immediate Maratha quotas and a MVA delegation is likely to meet him on Monday with a similar plea.
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