Jalna, Oct 27 (IANS): On the third day of his rigorous indefinite hunger strike, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil questioned whether Chief Minister Eknath Shinde raised the issue of Maratha reservations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi or not, here on Friday.

Appearing weary and fatigued, Jarange-Patil said the community was hopeful that Shinde, along with the Deputy Chief Ministers would raise the issue with the PM in New Delhi on Wednesday and in Ahmednagar on Thursday.

“Did the CM discuss it with the PM or not? If yes, then despite having the information the PM deliberately did not speak about it yesterday in Ahmednagar (Maharashtra). The CM and DyCM are hatching a conspiracy against the Maratha youth on this issue,” said Jarange-Patil.

He said that the Marathas have high regards for the PM, “but it appears that now the PM and CM have no need for the poor and backward people of society”.

Jarange-Patil reiterated that they have given over 10,000 documents for declaring the Marathas as Kunbi caste and giving them quotas accordingly, but that is not yet done by the state government, “which points to a plot to deny the reservations”.

Earlier, he had said on several occasions that this time “either my funeral procession will be taken out or a Maratha victory march” on the quotas issue which has been simmering for the past 10 years now.

The Maratha leader launched his hunger strike from October 25 to press for the Maratha reservations in jobs and education after giving a 40-day ultimatum to the state government to declare the quotas.

This time, Jarange-Patil is observing a rigorous hunger-strike, not taking medication, water and even refusing medical check-ups to monitor his vitals, even the state government officials, ministers and other leaders have pleaded with him to call off the agitation.