Activist Manoj Jarange criticized right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide, who allegedly questioned the need for Maratha reservation. Speaking to reporters, Jarange claimed that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was using Bhide as a new tool 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.
He also criticized Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal for his remarks about the turnout at his Nashik rally. Bhujbal, an OBC leader, claimed on Sunday that only 8,000 Marathas attended Jarange's rally in Nashik on August 13. Over the past few weeks, the activist has held rallies in Solapur, Sangli, Kolhapur, Satara, Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nashik.
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"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.
Jarange has been demanding the implementation of a draft notification that recognizes Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of the Maratha community and grants reservation to Marathas under the OBC category. Kunbis currently benefit from OBC quota privileges, but OBC members have expressed concerns that their quota should not be diluted.