India, Aug. 25 -- Activist Manoj Jarange on Monday warned the Maharashtra government to announce reservation for the Maratha community "within the legal framework" by Tuesday, failing which he would head to Mumbai to begin an indefinite hunger strike. Jarange said the protest, scheduled to start at Azad Maidan on August 29, would be peaceful. However, he asserted that if the demand is met by Tuesday, there would be no need for the agitation.

The activist has been demanding that Marathas be recognised as Kunbis-an agrarian caste under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category-making them eligible for quotas in education and government jobs. He has cited historical records, including the Bombay, Satara, and Hyderabad gazettes, as evidence ...