'Will quit politics if...': Devendra Fadnavis responds to Jarange on Maratha quota issue
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange has repeatedly claimed that the issue of Maratha reservation has remained unresolved due to pressure from Devendra Fadnavis and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
- Aug 19, 2024,
- Updated Aug 19, 2024 7:20 PM IST
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday rejected the charge that he was obstructing reservation for the Maratha community and added that he would quit politics if the allegation was proven. "I am saying very clearly that the CM has all the authority, and no minister is greater than the chief minister. The CM and I work together, and I stand with him.
"I would ask Jarenge Patil to personally ask the CM these questions," he said while responding to the charge that he pressured the chief minister not to give reservations to the Maratha community.
"If the CM says that he had to make any decisions for the Maratha community and I obstructed him ever, I will immediately resign from my post and announce my retirement from politics. I stand with CM Shinde ji in every decision," the Deputy CM said in response to allegations made by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil that he is the main obstacle in the Maratha community's quest for reservations.
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange has repeatedly claimed that the issue of the Maratha reservation has remained unresolved due to pressure from Devendra Fadnavis and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal. "The government has not addressed the issue though the July 13 deadline has passed. I believe Fadnavis and Bhujbal might have pressured the government not to solve the problem of Maratha reservation," Jaranage had said in July.
Jarange has been leading protests demanding OBC certificates for recognising all Kunbis and their "sage soyre" as Marathas. Kunbis enjoy quota benefits as OBCs. However, OBC members have stressed that their quota should not be diluted.
Jarange holds Fadnavis, also the state's home minister, responsible for the police lathicharge on Maratha quota activists in Antarwali Sarati in Jalna in August last year.
Jarange slams Sambhaji Bhide for questioning quota for Marathas
In a separate development, Jarange took a swipe at right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide, who allegedly questioned the need for reservation for Marathas. Talking to reporters, Jarange alleged that Fadnavis was using Bhide as a new weapon against him. "Bhide is speaking Fadnavis's words, and he is being used as a new weapon against me. The Maratha community is going farther away from Fadnavis and the BJP," Jarange claimed.
The activist also slammed Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal over his statement about the number of Marathas who attended his rally in Nashik. Bhujbal, a leader of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, on Sunday claimed that only 8,000 Marathas had attended Jarange's rally in Nashik on August 13. The activist held rallies in Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nashik in the last couple of weeks.
"Bhujbal is a member of the state government, and Fadnavis is the home minister. The police belong to them. We know how many Marathas were in the rally. If Bhujbal is keeping a count of Marathas taking to the streets, he should be made an officer of the regional transport office (RTO) and handed a whistle to count Marathas in vehicles," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday rejected the charge that he was obstructing reservation for the Maratha community and added that he would quit politics if the allegation was proven. "I am saying very clearly that the CM has all the authority, and no minister is greater than the chief minister. The CM and I work together, and I stand with him.
"I would ask Jarenge Patil to personally ask the CM these questions," he said while responding to the charge that he pressured the chief minister not to give reservations to the Maratha community.
"If the CM says that he had to make any decisions for the Maratha community and I obstructed him ever, I will immediately resign from my post and announce my retirement from politics. I stand with CM Shinde ji in every decision," the Deputy CM said in response to allegations made by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil that he is the main obstacle in the Maratha community's quest for reservations.
Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange has repeatedly claimed that the issue of the Maratha reservation has remained unresolved due to pressure from Devendra Fadnavis and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal. "The government has not addressed the issue though the July 13 deadline has passed. I believe Fadnavis and Bhujbal might have pressured the government not to solve the problem of Maratha reservation," Jaranage had said in July.
Jarange has been leading protests demanding OBC certificates for recognising all Kunbis and their "sage soyre" as Marathas. Kunbis enjoy quota benefits as OBCs. However, OBC members have stressed that their quota should not be diluted.
Jarange holds Fadnavis, also the state's home minister, responsible for the police lathicharge on Maratha quota activists in Antarwali Sarati in Jalna in August last year.
Jarange slams Sambhaji Bhide for questioning quota for Marathas
In a separate development, Jarange took a swipe at right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide, who allegedly questioned the need for reservation for Marathas. Talking to reporters, Jarange alleged that Fadnavis was using Bhide as a new weapon against him. "Bhide is speaking Fadnavis's words, and he is being used as a new weapon against me. The Maratha community is going farther away from Fadnavis and the BJP," Jarange claimed.
The activist also slammed Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal over his statement about the number of Marathas who attended his rally in Nashik. Bhujbal, a leader of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, on Sunday claimed that only 8,000 Marathas had attended Jarange's rally in Nashik on August 13. The activist held rallies in Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nashik in the last couple of weeks.
"Bhujbal is a member of the state government, and Fadnavis is the home minister. The police belong to them. We know how many Marathas were in the rally. If Bhujbal is keeping a count of Marathas taking to the streets, he should be made an officer of the regional transport office (RTO) and handed a whistle to count Marathas in vehicles," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)