OBC Activists Says Jarange Has Dictatorial Tendency, Making Unconditional Demands
Mumbai: Continuing to oppose inclusion of the Maratha community in the OBC category, OBC activist Laxman Hake on Monday targeted Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange for making “unconditional demands”. The OBC activist claimed that the Supreme Court has already held that clubbing Marathas and Kunbis as one is “social foolishness”.
In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a Bill granting a separate 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs to the Maratha community. However, Jarange has rejected the separate reservation and demanded Kunbi caste certificates for his community, which will enable them to get reservation under the OBC category.
Hake said that Jarange is using numerical strength of Marathas to arm twist the ruling political parties. “Making demands through mob rule is unconstitutional and against the law. This is a dictatorial tendency which will disturb the environment of Maharashtra,” he said.
Jarange, who was on indefinite fast for the OBC reservation, suspended his agitation on June 13 after the Eknath Shinde government’s assurance to take positive decision on his demands. However, Hake also started indefinite fast opposing Jarange’s demand and suspended it after the government’s assurance that OBC reservation will not be disturbed while providing reservation to Marathas.
Hake alleged that Jarange has been making baseless claims that all Marathas are also Kunbis. He expressed surprise that elected MPs and MLAs are also not aware of the facts.
“MPs and MLAs should read the judgements of courts. A judgement by Justice B.H Marlapalle states that clubbing Marathas and Kunbis as one is social foolishness,” Hake said.
Earlier in the day, Jarange accused Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal of using provocative language intended to incite a rift between Marathas and OBCs, potentially triggering riots. He also warned the Shinde government that it will pay the price in all 288 Maharashtra Assembly seats if his demands are not accepted. The Maratha community is the single largest caste and politically influential in the state.
The unrest among the Maratha community over the reservation issue was one of the biggest factor in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The BJP-led ‘Mahayuti’ lost 31 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
