Manoj Jarange-Patil ended his 20-day hunger strike on September 17 after the state government sought three months to act on his demands relating to Maratha reservation. (File photo)Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar after his hunger strike, on Tuesday accused Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of “taking revenge on Maratha protesters”.“The pride of Eknath Shinde was raised by the Maratha community. It is the Marathas who allowed them to hold their heads high in Mumbai. But today, the same Shinde is taking revenge on Maratha protesters. Cases are being registered against our people, and inquiries are being initiated through the Income Tax Department and other agencies. But Shinde should remember, your power will not last forever. The 2029 election is approaching, and we will not step back from making you weep,” Jarange-Patil said while interacting with reporters.Jarange-Patil also alleged that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had held a Cabinet meeting to strategise against the Maratha community, following which ministers began calling and threatening members of the community.Taking an aggressive stand over what he alleged was government harassment of Maratha protesters and those assisting them, Jarange-Patil said, “Why fear if you have done no wrong! If the government is waiting to put us in jail, we are ready to go to jail. But neither the Maratha community nor I will bow down before anyone.”Must Read | Why Jarange-Patil’s Mumbai march amid Ganeshotsav has government worriedJarange-Patil ended his 20-day hunger strike on September 17 after the state government sought three months to act on his demands relating to Maratha reservation. He had also temporarily suspended his plan to march to Mumbai.Meanwhile, Jarange-Patil spoke about a government circular concerning the search for old Kunbi records. He said the government had issued a Government Resolution (GR) giving special powers to readers of Modi and Persian scripts to locate such records.He appealed to scholars and readers of Modi and Persian scripts across the state to visit Galaxy Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar between September 23 and 27 and register their names. Two Modi script readers and two Persian script readers will be appointed in every taluka of Marathwada, he said.Story continues below this adJarange-Patil has claimed that the agitation helped bring to light around 58 lakh Kunbi records linked to members of the Maratha community and alleged that efforts were being made to reduce the number of such records. Kunbis are included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, and Jarange-Patil has been seeking certificates for eligible Marathas with documentary links to the community.