Categorically refuting allegations that he was indulging in ‘casteism’, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Sunday said the objective of his agitation was to secure reservation for his community and not create rifts between members of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Marathas.
Speaking in Beed district, Mr. Jarange-Patil urged the ruling Mahayuti government as well as leaders from the OBC community to not create divisions between the two communities in the State for the “sake of vote-bank politics”, while urging Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis to maintain law and order. Mr. Jarange-Patil claimed that Marathas had been granted reservation decades before the OBCS could secure theirs.
“The Marathas had been given reservation since 1874… this was mentioned in a number of gazettes, including the Satara gazette and the then Bombay Government gazette, which shows Marathas and Kunbis to be one and the same. The OBCs, on the other hand, were first granted reservation only in 1967 by the Maharashtra government and then during the Mandal Commission two decades later. The OBC leaders just do not want to understand that the Marathas were first granted reservation. We are only demanding what is rightfully ours,” he said.
Stating that he would not budge from his demand that Marathas ought to get reservation under the OBC Kunbi category, Mr. Jarange-Patil asked how could the OBC leaders demand that 57 lakh records [showing Marathas to have been Kunbis] that had been found by the government, be scrapped.
“My agitation has not aggravated social tensions in the Marathwada region. I am sincerely saying I have never indulged in casteism nor will I do so. When so many records and proofs have been found [showing Marathas as Kunbis), you [OBC leaders] are saying ‘cancel them’,” he said.
Mr. Jarange-Patil, whose four hunger strikes over the past 10 months brought the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government to its knees, warned OBC leaders of trying to spread unrest in Marathwada and in other parts of the State.
“We, too, want our children to achieve success in life. They too have dreams and aspirations. We Marathas will take reservation under the OBC quota come what may. We cannot change our stance,” said the activist.
He again warned the ruling government that if it did not accede to the Maratha community’s demands, he would announce the names of those politicians whom the community would not vote for in the upcoming Assembly election. “After July 13, I will take the names of those leaders who ought to be defeated in the polls,” Mr. Jarange-Patil said.
