Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is gearing up for a high-stakes meeting with protesters from the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh in Nagpur on Thursday, September 4, at 10 am at Samvidhan Square. The group has been staging a chain hunger strike since August 30, sparked by concerns that the Maratha community might be granted reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, potentially diluting their benefits.

The OBC Mahasangh is standing firm, demanding that the government reject the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category and halt the blanket issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas. "We have 14 demands, and we want a government representative to address them directly," an office-bearer of the Mahasangh stated, emphasising the need for dialogue to resolve the escalating tensions.

The protest began just a day after Maratha activist Manoj Jarange launched his indefinite fast in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan to push for Maratha reservations. Although Jarange ended his strike on Tuesday after the government agreed to issue Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas—making them eligible for OBC benefits—the OBC Mahasangh remains unmoved, continuing their agitation.

Also Read: Sanjay Raut Praises Fadnavis for Resolving Maratha Quota Crisis

Nagpur BJP chief Dayashankar Tiwari stated that CM Fadnavis has worked to balance Maratha reservation demands while safeguarding OBC rights, aiming to foster harmony. The government has also proposed a committee to verify historical evidence for issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas, a move that has further fuelled the OBC protesters’ concerns.

As the CM prepares to meet the protesters, all eyes are on Nagpur to see if this dialogue will defuse the quota controversy or escalate the clash between communities.

Also Read: Sanjay Raut Praises Fadnavis for Resolving Maratha Quota Crisis