Activist Manoj Jarange Patil
Credit: PTI Photo
Jalna (Maharashtra): Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Monday claimed the Congress was speaking against the interests of the Maratha community and would face consequences in the Maharashtra assembly polls due later this year.
Newly-elected Jalna Congress MP Kalyan Kale met Jarange at Antarwali Sarathi village, where the activist continued his indefinite fast for the third day, and said he supports the agitation for Maratha quota.
The Congress MP also acknowledged the influence of the Maratha reservation movement in his victory in the recent Lok Sabha polls.
Notably, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar had opposed reservation to the Maratha community from the share of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Asked about Wadettiwar's comments, Jarange told reporters, "The Congress took votes from the Maratha people in the recent Lok Sabha elections and now they are speaking against our interests. They will face the consequences in the Vidhan Sabha elections."
In the recently held Lok Sabha polls, the Congress won 13 out of 17 seats it contested in the state as part of the opposition alliance.
After meeting Jarange, Kale said, "Wadettiwar should not talk like this. I do not endorse his statement."
"Because of Jarange, I have been elected from the Jalna Lok Sabha constituency," he added.
In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category.
Jarange on Monday reiterated his demand for implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as "sage soyare" (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and sought a law to identify Kunbis as Marathas.
Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the OBC category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits. Jarange on Monday also demanded implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette for the Kunbi records of Marathas. He said 57 lakh documents have been received proving that Marathas and Kunbis are the same. He also demanded withdrawal of cases against protesters seeking Maratha quota. Before this, the activist held the agitation over the quota issue between February 10 and 26.
Political analysts believe unrest among the Maratha community members as well as farmers, and lack of major development projects in the Marathwada region contributed to the defeat of BJP-led Mahayuti candidates in the general elections.
The Bharatiya Janata Party lost all four seats it contested in the region, including Jalna and Beed, where Union minister Raosaheb Danve and former state minister Pankaja Munde suffered defeats, respectively.