Laxman Hake.
Credit: Facebook/Laxman Hake
Jalna: Activists of Maratha and OBC groups faced off against each other on Saturday amid growing tension over separate hunger strikes by Manoj Jarange and Laxman Hake in Jalna district of Maharashtra.
Hake, who has been on fast since September 19 for the "protection" of the OBC quota, accused Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Jarange of "trying to suppress the OBC reservation movement".
Earlier in the day, hundreds of Maratha activists took out a two-wheeler rally, passing through the protest site of Hake in Wadigodri village and raising slogans, promptly countered by members of OBC communities.
Police prevented a potential law and order situation by dispersing supporters of Hake and Jarange, an official said.
Notably, Hake and Jarange have been observing fasts at Wadigodri and Antarwali Sarati villages, situated 3 km apart, in Jalna district.
Jarnage launched a fresh hunger strike on September 17 for the implementation of the draft notification declaring blood relatives of Marathas as Kunbis based on historical documents from the Satara, Bombay, and Hyderabad gazetteers.
Jarange's main demand is the grant of the OBC quota to Marathas in government jobs and education.
Hake and Navnath Waghmare launched a counter-hunger strike to safeguard the OBC quota and scrap the draft Sage Soyare notification.
Speaking to reporters, Hake accused the Maratha reservation activists of trying to intimidate OBC protesters.
"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is responsible for creating the tense atmosphere. Maharashtra is not the personal property of either Jarange or Shinde," he said, adding that OBCs would respond strongly to any threat.
"We will give the state government and Jarange a befitting reply. The government is protecting Jarange. We will not tolerate the mob rule," Hake added.