SEE: Maratha Leader Manoj Jarange Drinks Juice From Hands Of CM Eknath Shinde; Ends Fast

The Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil broke his 17-day long indefinite hunger strike by accepting a glass of juice from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, at the Antaravali-Sarati village, here on Thursday morning. Jarange-Patil received CM, Union MoS for Railways Raosaheb Danve-Patil, state Ministers Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, Girish Mahajan and other leaders when they landed here this morning, a day after their scheduled arrival (Wednesday).

Abhijit Mulye

On reaching, the CM went straight to the agitation marquee, stepped on the make-shift stage where the Maratha leaders are protesting since the past over two weeks, and held a brief discussion with Jarange-Patil. Probably coaxed by the CM to break his indefinite hunger strike, Jarange-Patil, with a glint of victory in his eyes, glanced at his supporters and others, and then accepted a glass of orange juice from Shinde's hand, smiled and hesitatingly sipped it, signalling the end of his long and tiring fast for Maratha quotas.

Abhijit Mulye

The CM also offered the juice to Jarange-Patil's anxious father, who was there to boost the morale of his son, and asked the senior "to take care of your son". At this, the gathering including many Marathas cheered and clapped while the visiting dignitaries folded their hands in acknowledgement, as the worst of the political crisis seemed to have blown over.

Eknath Shinde/YouTube

Speaking on the occasion, Jarange-Patil said that though he had broken the fast, the agitation would continue and he would remain at the same venue for the next one month till the government implements his demands. "If required, we are ready to give the government 10 more days, but we want the reservations that will withstand legal scrutiny, and do justice to the community," Jarange-Patil declared.

Abhijit Mulye

Responding, Shinde praised Jarange-Patil's dedicated efforts to the Maratha cause and said "he was not asking anything for self but only for the community and as the CM, I am committed to fulfill it". Recalling his long association with Jarange-Patil, the CM said that he has the community's support for his commitment to the cause and hones intentions, and thanking him for ceding his request to end the hunger strike. Shinde took the occasion to condemn the police crackdown on the protesting Marathas on September 1 at Antarvali-Sarati, and reminded that the Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had already tendered a public apology for it.

Eknath Shinde/YouTube

"We have accepted almost all the demands of Jarange-Patil like withdrawing all cases against the protesting Marathas, suspension of the top police officials who gave the orders for the caning. We shall also give the quotas to the Marathas without doing any injustice to any other community. We will do it in such a manner that it can withstand any legal challenges," assured Shinde.

Eknath Shinde/YouTube

Bowing before political compulsions, Shinde - himself a Maratha - and others rushed to Jalna this morning against the backdrop of his off-the-cuff remark late on Monday night that triggered a political row. Ahead of his media briefing that night, Shinde was heard telling Fadnavis and Pawar that "we just have to speak and go" - but it was caught on the cameras and microphones that were live at that time, and later the trio were seen laughing.

Eknath Shinde/YouTube

The Opposition Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe plus leaders of Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) have slammed the CM's remarks terming them as "a casual and insensitive approach" to the issue of the Marathas. However, Shinde on Thursday said that the matter was wrongly blown out of proportion, while his Shiv Sena party leaders have termed it as a plot by some vested interests to spoil the government's image.

Eknath Shinde/YouTube