Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil has been criticized for taking a political stand in his quest for the Maratha reservation. There is also talk of Jarange contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with BJP leader Ashish Deshmukh claiming that he will contest the elections on a Maha Vikas Aghadi ticket. Jarange broke his silence on Prakash Ambedkar's appeal and Anand Ambedkar's visit.
"I am being discharged from the hospital tomorrow. After that, I am going to the village for a wedding for two days," Jarange said. While commenting on Anand Ambedkar's visit, he said, "I find it a little difficult to ignore Prakash Ambedkar's words. But I want to tell them respectfully that my agenda is on the Maratha reservation right now. My entire focus is on getting reservation for the sons of poor Marathas. My way is not the political way, it's the social way.
When asked whether he will contest elections, Patil said, " If it doesn't matter, I belong to the community. But politics is not my way, the burning issue before me right now is reservation. The issue of community is the most important thing for me." Jarange also made it clear that he would not take a political stand saying that the children of poor Marathas and the children of the working class need to flourish first.
Millions of people will be on the streets
"Let me be arrested: where I will be in jail, where I go on the road, crores of people will be seen on the streets. I'm not guilty. I'm fighting for the community. I've put my life on the line. Through 57 lakh records, 1.5 crore people will have reservations. We are seeking reservations for the rest of the Maratha community. Use any system, no matter what happens, I'm not going to back down. They can arrest us at any time because they have power. Don't we understand the laws... We know when the curfew has to be imposed," Manoj Jarange Patil added.