Upping the ante against the state government, leaders of Maratha groups said the community would boycott payment of taxes till their demand for quotas was implemented. A meeting in Latur on Sunday, which was attended by co-ordinators from 22 districts, resolved that members of the community will blockade all main roads with their families, livestock and vehicles on August 9.
The blockade will be preceded by a sit-in protest from August 1 at all government offices and those of members of Parliament and state legislature. It was decided at the that no negotiations would be conducted with the state government.
"Till the time reservation for Marathas is implemented, we will launch a non-cooperation with the government. Marathas will not pay any taxes like for instance, property tax," said Shantaram Kunjir of the Sambhaji Brigade, who attended the meeting.
Sanjiv Bhor Patil of Shiv Prahar said this "non-cooperation" would cover non-payment of the entire gamut of taxes, including income-tax and agricultural cess. Kunjir said since the community was united, the government would not act against them.
"For the Maratha Kranti Jan Andolan on August 9, Maratha community members, with their families, cattle, implements and vehicles like bullock carts and tractors, will blockade the main road near their villages. This is a protest to show our numbers. We do not want it to take a violent turn. It is also the responsibility of the state government to ensure that there is no flare-up or provocation," Bhor added.
Kunjir charged that the police had lodged cases under harsh sections against Maratha protesters durign the agitation last week and demanded that they be withdrawn. Though Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Sunday that this would be done, Kunjir added that the amnesty would cover minor cases when the police had booked agitators under charges like attempt to murder and assaulting public servants. "We want a blanket amnesty... in Navi Mumbai, police booked even those activists of the Maratha Kranti Morcha who were not part of the protests," he alleged.
The meeting demanded the state government give Rs 50 lakh compensation and a job to the familes of Kakasaheb Shinde and Rohan Todkar each. The two men lost their lives in the Maratha agitation last week. A special investigation team under a retired high court judge has been sought to probe their deaths.
"The Maratha Kranti Morcha (in 2016, 2017) saw lakhs turn up with a charter of demands . We are demanding that these — fast-tracking execution of the death sentence for the three convicts in Kopardi gang rape; amending the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 to stop its misuse; complete loan waiver for farmers, ensuring that the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea in Mumbai is the tallest in the world — be implemented," said Bhor.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former chief minister-turned-BJP ally Narayan Rane met a Maratha community delegation on Sunday. Fadnavis said they would withdraw cases against "innocent" protesters except those who had attacked the police. The government would ensure there was no injustice against Maratha youth in the recruitment for 72,000 government posts. Fadnavis said they were investigating complaints on "other elements infiltrating" the protests. However, Kunjir and Bhor said the Latur meeting had disowned and condemned the delegation.
