Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Activist Manoj Jarange on Friday asked the state government to withdraw the cases registered against people from Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna in the next two days and those registered across the state in another month, even as he reminded the government to ensure it meets the December 24 deadline to grant reservation to the Maratha community.Addressing a mammoth rally in Panjar Paul of Jalna district on Friday evening, Jarange said that the government should not ditch the community on the reservation demand or else it will have to face the Marathas in Mumbai. He also came down heavily on food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal and blamed him for spreading caste-based discrimination and differences in the state. He said that ministers Uday Samant, Dhananjay Munde, Sandeepan Bhumare, Atul Save and also the home minister had assured that the members of the community who had participated in protests would not be arrested, yet they were being held. His statement comes in the backdrop of the arrest of Rishikesh Bedre and two others in the case registered for attacking policemen on September 1. The police have also found an illegal firearm and two bullets from Bedres possession. He asked the government to clarify why these agitators from the Maratha community were being arrested and why the cases registered across Maharashtra have not been withdrawn despite assurances. Jarange questioned the reason behind the arrests three months after the incident. He also asked why section 144 of CrPc has been invoked in Latur district. Jarange said that he has not forgotten the assault by the police on the women and children in Antarwali Sarati and if the demand for reservation was not met, the government will have to pay the price. He warned that the state government will have to face consequences if the community was not given reservation by the mutually decided deadline of December 24. He announced that on December 17, the community members will gather and unanimously decide the future course of agitation. We want to see Mumbai. If the government does not give reservation by December 24, it will meet us in Mumbai, he said, adding the gathering in Jalna. Community members had lined up 140 excavators and showered petals on Jarange after he reached the venue on Friday evening. During his address, Jarange said that the state government should abstain from succumbing to the pressure from Bhujbal. He said that there is a strong suspicion that BJP MLA Narayan Kuche and agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde (of NCP) had framed Maratha community youths and had got them arrested from Antarwali Sarati as well as in Beed. He said, Chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar should abstain from attracting ire of the Maratha community, which will peacefully wait till deadline of December 24 to get reservation from OBC quota.

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