BJP must clarify its intent to give Marathas a quota, says Manoj Jarange-Patil

Maratha quota activist questions BJP's commitment to OBC reservation, sparking rift between Marathas and OBC communities.

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the Marathas had been able to secure reservation only when a BJP government had been in power in Maharashtra, quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil cast aspersions on the saffron party’s intent to give Marathas a quota under the OBC category.

Mr. Jarange-Patil, who is on yet another hunger strike (his fifth since September last year) in Jalna since July 20, yet again targeted Deputy Chief Minister and State BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, while accusing the ruling government of deliberately snubbing his agitation by not sending a government delegation.  

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Jarange-Patil censured Mr. Fadnavis for shifting the onus of the Maratha quota problem on the opposition parties, alleging that Mr. Fadnavis had been asking the Opposition to clarify its stance on the Maratha quota issue while himself remaining ambivalent about the Mahayuti government’s commitment to resolving the matter.

“This government has been in power for more than two years but instead of allotting a quota for the Marathas (under the OBC category), they opened fire at protesters. How long will they keep giving us hollow assurances?” said the activist.

Mr. Jarange-Patil also trained his guns on OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal, accusing him of attempting to incite riots and attacked yet another state BJP leader Prasad Lad, claiming that Mr. Lad was allegedly trying to ‘manage’ the Maratha community.   

“We are not interested in joining politics,” said the activist in response to Mr. Lad’s appeal to him to enter the political mainstream. “However, if the Maratha community fails to get the reservation, they will not be left with any other option and will have to enter politics,” added Jarange-Patil, who has already warned that he would field candidates against the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the coming Assembly election.

During his visit to Pune on Sunday, Home Minister Amit Shah had lashed out at the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for allegedly undermining efforts to secure reservation for the Maratha community, singling out NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar – a tall Maratha leader who had helmed the State four times in the past as Chief Minister.