Maratha quota: Talks with govt delegation fail; Jarange firm on continuing protest

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-08-30 13:50:59 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-30 21:41:08

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No victory was achieved as the talks between Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange and the government-appointed delegation ended inconclusively in Mumbai on Saturday.

The delegation, comprising Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Vijay Wadettiwar, Minister for Forests and Environment Mangal Lodha, and Minister for Higher and Technical Education Balaji Tambe, held discussions with Jarange at the latter's residence in Pandharpur in Solapur district.

Jarange has been demanding that the Maratha community, which has been excluded from the recently implemented Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) quota, be included in the quota for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Denotified Tribes.

This has been a key demand for the Maratha quota agitation which has been ongoing for months, and resulted in unrest and violence in many parts of Maharashtra.

After the talks, Jarange said that the agitation would continue until the community's demands were met, according to news reports.

Wadettiwar, who led the delegation, said the government was considering several demands, according to the Times of India.

"The government is positive about the demands of the Maratha quota agitation. Several demands are under consideration by the government. We have given an assurance that these will be fulfilled in due time," the minister was quoted as saying.

However, none of the delegations commented on the specifics of the demands or the timeline for their implementation.

The delegation will now hold talks with another group of agitating Marathas in Aurangabad on Sunday.

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