The Maratha kranti morcha held a meeting in Dadar to decide on the next rally.
After the lukewarm response from the BJP-led state and central government, the Maratha community has urged elected representatives across the party line to resign if they are unable to fulfill the community's demands. After the success of the Kranti Muk Morcha held across various parts of the state to demand strict punishment for the accused in the Kopardi rape case, members of the Mumbai unit are planning a similar protest in the city. The Maratha Kranti Morcha held a meeting at Shivaji Mandir in Dadar on Friday to chalk out a plan.
"Of the total strength of 288 in the state assembly, 149 MLAs belong to the Maratha community. As community members form a majority, they can write to the chief minister asking for a special session in order to get their demands fulfilled," said a senior Maratha leader on condition of anonymity.
Members suggested that the morcha should happen after Diwali. However, a few of them wanted the morcha to be held after the winter session of the state assembly, which is scheduled on December 5.
"We paid heed to all suggestions. Now, all districts ordinations will be called to Aurangabad on October 9 where the Mumbai morcha date will be finalised and we are expecting almost a crore members to participate," said one of the meeting's organisers on condition of anonymity. He added, "The CM should make crucial decisions before the morcha or we will celebrate Black Diwali by covering lamps with black cloth."
After the Kopardi rape and murder case, the Maratha community protested in large numbers demanding capital punishment for the perpetrators of the rape and murder of a Maratha girl. They also demanded for the amendment to the Atrocities Act, reservation for Marathas and implementation of Dr Swaminathan's report highlighting fair prices of grains.
"If the party leadership doesn't meet the community's demands, they should resign. This will ensure CM Devendra Fadnavis' government becomes a minority in the assembly. This will almost definitely lead to another election. We will only vote for those who will work for the betterment of our community." said another Maratha leader.
The Maratha kranti morcha has proven that the community does not require leadership. Now, the Marathas are proud of their caste and this mutual feeling is binding the community emotionally. Organisers said the services of 500 existing WhatsApp groups will be used to reach out to other members of the community who live in the state. Since it is impossible to reach out for support from other Maratha members, the kranti morcha plans to make use of social media platforms to build support. Social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter will be used to draw maximum participation.
The Maratha community has been protesting for over a month now. A number of Maratha organisations have been holding silent protests against the rape and murder of a Maratha girl in Kopardi village of Ahmednagar district. Earlier in the week, Shiv Sena moutpiece Saamna was at the centre of a maelstrom after it published a caricature mocking the silent demonstrations organised by the Marathas. However, the Shiv Sena has blamed the NCP and Congress for fanning passions in the state.
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