Maratha quota activist Jarange sitting on indefinite fast refuses health check-up

Members of the Maratha community have been staging protests seeking reservation in government jobs and education

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Activist Manoj Jarange, who has been sitting on an indefinite fast in Maharashtra’s Jalna district over the demand for reservation to the Maratha community, has refused to get a health check-up done.

This may have an impact on his vital organs and parameters, Jalna’s acting civil surgeon Dr Pratap Ghodke told PTI on Monday.

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Members of the Maratha community have been staging protests seeking reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

The agitation intensified after quota activist Jarange sat on an indefinite fast from October 25 at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna as part of the second phase of the protest. On his appeal, many villages have banned the entry of political leaders.

Dr Ghodke said, “District officials and doctors are approaching Jarange after every 2-3 hours. But, every time he has been refused a health check-up and treatment. This might lead to an impact on his vital organs like kidneys and brain. The sugar level may get low and can hamper his electrolytes level.”

“We have approached his family doctor as well as other doctors in Antarwali Sarati. Today, the villagers are going to request Jarange to take medical treatment and continue his hunger strike,” he added.

Jarange has announced that fast-unto-death protests will begin in villages across Maharashtra if the state government fails to act on the pending demand of the Maratha community.

The Maharashtra government’s stated position is that it is committed to granting reservation to the Maratha community which stands legal scrutiny.