If betrayed, Fadnavis will be wiped out, warns Jarange

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange on Thursday warned that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis would be “politically finished” if the government betrayed the community while implementing the newly issued GR on the Hyderabad Gazetteer and caste certificate process.

Taking a dig at the state, Jarange said the government has set up a sub-committee for OBCs but should do the same for micro OBCs, SCs, and STs. He explained that the Hyderabad Gazetteer would bring Marathas from Marathwada into the OBC fold, while the Aundh Gazetteer would benefit Marathas in western Maharashtra. With these in place, he said, the process of securing OBC certificates had already begun.

Slamming critics, he accused some Maratha researchers of creating unnecessary confusion. “No one should claim that nothing has been achieved. These researchers only speak on television. They were earlier called to Mumbai, but I will not consult them again. Why didn’t they secure reservation for the community until now?” Jarange asked.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde was “using Jarange’s agitation to target Fadnavis.” Dismissing the charge, Jarange said: “If I wanted to trouble Fadnavis, I would have gone straight to Varsha Bungalow. I was there only for society, not for any political party. No one can use my shoulder for their gun.”

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Is Bhujbal the owner of the Government?

Minister Chhagan Bhujbal expressed displeasure over the issuance of the Maratha GR and skipped the cabinet meeting in protest. Asked about this, Jarange countered with a sharp question: “Is Bhujbal the owner of this government, that decisions must be taken only after listening to him?”