Maharashtra's Congress chief, Nana Patole, expressed skepticism about the government's proposed solution to the Maratha quota issue, highlighting unresolved demands like Kunbi certificates. Speaking to reporters in Dhule, Nana Patole said that Manoj Jarange Patil had fought a major battle for Maratha reservation. He had to come to Mumbai with lakhs of supporters for the government to accept his demands. After a discussion between government representatives and Jarange Patil, the government issued an order at night and Jarange Patil announced that all his demands had been accepted and he ended his hunger strike in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Patole asked, "The government could have issued such an order earlier. Were they waiting for such a large movement?" He also questioned the absence of both deputy chief ministers, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, in the entire episode. "Why did the two deputy chief ministers not go to resolve the hunger strike of Manoj Jarange Patil? This is surprising," he said. Patole also said that the government had clarified that it would not touch the OBC reservation. So, what happened to the demand that Maratha reservation should be given only from OBC? The government should clarify whether Maratha society has been given reservation and if so, from where. It is not clear whether the government has cheated the Maratha community or the OBC community. By creating all this confusion, the government is trying to create a rift between the Maratha and OBC communities. The government is doing politics of deception in the name of reservation.
Patole's statement is in line with the Congress party's position on the reservation issue. The party has been demanding a caste-based census and the removal of the 50% reservation limit for many years. Patole's statement is also a criticism of the Modi government's handling of the reservation issue. He argues that the government has not done enough to address the concerns of the Maratha community and other backward communities. It remains to be seen whether the Modi government will take any action on Patole's demands.