The Maharashtra Congress chief, Nana Patole, criticized the Eknath Shinde-led government on Thursday, accusing it of misleading the Maratha community regarding quota allocations. His remarks came in response to activist Manoj Jarange's ongoing march from Jalna to Mumbai, demanding quota benefits for Marathas through Kunbi certificates, listed under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) segment.
Patole highlighted what he termed as the "biggest failure" of the Shinde-BJP administration, stating that the government had failed to fulfill its promises to the Maratha community. He questioned the whereabouts of the ministers who engaged in discussions with Jarange, emphasizing their absence during the ongoing agitation.
Two state ministers were constantly in touch with 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, Patole claimed.
The 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, 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.