Jarange-Patil gives 10-days ultimatum to state, Centre over Maratha reservation
Mumbai: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Saturday gave an ultimatum of 10 days to the Maharashtra government to complete the necessary procedure to give Kunbi status to all Maratha communities.
Mr. Jarange-Patil also alleged that Chhagan Bhujbal and Gunaratna Sadavarte are working at the behest of deputy Chief MInisters Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis to incite the members of the Maratha community to create violence so that the government can deny reservation to them. He also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reprimand Mr. Fadnavis.
The Maratha activist completed his statewide tour in different districts. He held a public rally at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna where he had sat on a hunger strike earlier. The public rally was held as the 30-day time given by Mr. Jarange-Patil to the Eknath Shinde government ended.
Addressing a massive rally, Mr. Jarange-Patil said that the state government has only 10 days. "If they fail to provide the reservation within 10 days, I will announce my next course of action on October 22," he said.
If given Kunbi caste certificates, Marathas will be eligible to get a reservation in the OBC category. However, the demand is facing stiff opposition from OBC organisations and activists.
The Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP alleged that Rs 7 crore had been spent on the massive rally.
However, Mr. Jarange-Patil said that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar should reprimand Chhagan Bhujbal for the false allegation.
Asking Maratha community members to remain calm, he claimed that Mr. Pawar and Mr. Fadnavis along with the chief minister are inciting the community members to foment the violence. "On the pretext of this (violence), the reservation would be denied to us," the Maratha activist said.
The Maratha activist said that the Maratha community has a lion's share in bringing the BJP government in Maharashtra to the centre and urged the BJP leaders to not go against the Maratha community.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said that the demand of Mr. Jarange-Patil to provide reservation from OBC quota to the Maratha community is wrong.
"We don't want a share in anyone's reservation. Independent reservations should be given to the Maratha community, this is the original demand of the Maratha protesters,” he said.
