Pune: OBC activist Laxman Hake on Wednesday announced the suspension of the ‘Chalo Mumbai’ agitation following an assurance from state revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to arrange a meeting between community representatives and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.Hake, along with several other OBC community activists, had launched the ‘Chalo Mumbai’ agitation from Pune’s Daund tehsil on Tuesday to counter Maratha activist Manoj Jarange’s ongoing hunger strike. He had appealed to community members to reach the state capital for a show of strength to counter Jarange’s protest.However, following a phone call from Bawankule, Hake announced the suspension of the march. Hake said, “We were determined to reach Mumbai, but Bawankule called and urged me to withdraw the agitation. He has assured me that he will arrange a meeting between OBC activists and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Following this assurance, we have decided to suspend the agitation temporarily.”While Jarange has been observing an indefinite hunger strike for Maratha quota demands, some OBC activists claimed that if the govt accepts those demands, it will have an adverse impact on the existing OBC quota. This concern prompted Hake to announce the agitation.However, there was a visible division within the OBC community over the protest; the National OBC Federation refused to join, and some activists stayed away, claiming that the OBC quota is not currently being impacted.Hake, on the other hand, maintained that the OBC quota will be directly affected if a large number of members from the Maratha community are added to the OBC category.He said, “During the meeting with the chief minister, we will explain how the OBC quota will be affected if Jarange’s demands are accepted. If the meeting turns out to be futile, we will relaunch the agitation after the Ganesh festival.”
