Maratha quota protest: CM Shinde-BJP govt has misled Marathas, says Nana Patole on Manoj Jarange's march to Mumbai

Manoj Jarange. Pic/PTI

The Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-BJP government misled the Marathas on quota and that is why community members headed by activist Manoj Jarange are marching to Mumbai, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said on Thursday in reference to the Maratha quota protest, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, Manoj Jarange is leading a march from Jalna to Mumbai and plans to continue the stir in the metropolis till the state government announces quota for the Marathas by giving them Kunbi certificates. Kunbis are listed in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) segment.

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"The fact that the Maratha community is coming to Mumbai is the biggest failure of the Shinde-BJP government. The CM Shinde-Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government misled the Maratha community. Where are the two ministers who held discussions with Manoj Jarange hiding," Nana Patole questioned, as per the PTI.

The state government held talks with Manoj Jarange and continued to assert it would give quota to the Maratha community but did nothing, he said, adding the ruling dispensation did not take any step even when the activist began his march to Mumbai along with thousands of supporters, the news agency reported on Thursday.

Two state ministers were constantly in touch with Manoj Jarange but they are nowhere to be seen, and no discussions were held even after the activist set a deadline for quota for the community and nor has any decision been taken, Nana Patole claimed.

"The CM Eknath Shinde government is only giving dates to the Marathas, which is a great insult to the community. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said he would give reservations to the community within one month if he came to power. He had also claimed only he had the courage to give them quota," Nana Patole said, the news agency reported.

The Shinde government has been in power since June 2022 but no decision on the Maratha quota has been taken as yet, Patole said.

"Why are Fadnavis and BJP silent now? The BJP is anti-quota and will not give reservation to any social group. On the issue of reservation, the BJP government has committed the sin of creating a rift between the Maratha community and the OBCs in the state," Patole alleged.

The Congress leader said removal of the 50 per cent quota ceiling and caste-wise census are the only solutions to the issue of reservation, he said.

"The BJP is against caste census and the Narendra Modi government is doing nothing to remove the 50 percent reservation limit," Nana Patole alleged.

(with PTI inputs)