Maratha Group Protests Outside Uddhav Thackeray’s Residence

Mumbai: The Maratha quota dispute in Maharashtra intensified further with the activists of one organisation Maratha Kranti Thok Marcha protesting outside Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s residence Matoshree in Mumbai on Tuesday. However, the quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil has rebuked the protests claiming they were sponsored by BJP leader Pravin Darekar.

The protestors demanded the Shiv Sena UBT to come clean on the Maratha community’s demand for reservation as Kunbis under the OBC category. The Maratha Kranti Thok Morcha led by Ramesh Kere Patil is said to be a rival of the Maratha Kranti Morcha led by Manoj Jarange, who is on the forefront of Maratha reservation agitation.

Jarange has been demanding the implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as ‘sage soyare’ (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and reservation to the latter under the OBC category.

Commenting on the protests, Jarange accused the BJP of trying to break the Maratha agitation. “The Maratha community is not staging any protest in the state. If any agitation is taking place, it is sponsored by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar and Devendra Fadnavis. Protestors should stay with the community or else they will be defamed,” Jarange said in Jalna.

Meanwhile, Thakeray said only the Centre can resolve the reservation issue by increasing the quota limit of 50 per cent and grant reservation to Marathas.

“States do not have the authority or power to give reservation to Marathas. Only the Centre has the authority to raise the 50 per cent ceiling limit through Parliament and Maratha reservation can be given only through Parliament. So if a solution comes out of the Lok Sabha to increase the reservation, I am ready to support it today itself. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi should find a solution, I will extend the support of all my MPs,” Thackeray said at Matoshree.

The state governments do not have the power to increase the 50 per cent cap on reservation. The Bihar government had tried to provide reservation by raising the quota, but the high court dismissed it, he added.