Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Tuesday said that while the OBC leaders were united over the reservation issue despite belonging to different parties, those from his own community were not with him and he was fighting a lonely battle.
He was talking to reporters on Tuesday before being discharged from a private hospital where he was admitted a few days back. Jarange, who launched his latest round of protest on June 8 and suspended it six days later, has been demanding implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) of Maratha community members.
About Kunbi Group
Kunbi, an agrarian group, falls under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, and Jarange has been demanding that Kunbi certificates be issued to all Marathas, thus making them eligible for quota benefits. He also appealed to the government to fulfil the demands of the Maratha community.
“The government should meet our 'sage soyare' demand as per our definition and just publish a notification that Marathas and Kunbis are one. Even if the government takes the gazettes of Hyderabad, Satara, and the Bombay presidency into consideration, the Marathas will get reservation,” the activist added.
He alleged that people from the Maratha community who fought for the cause of reservation were defamed.
“Earlier, the people who fought for the community and quota were defamed by the government and were pushed aside. But no matter how much they defame us now, we won't move away from our demands,” he said.
OBC Activist Laxman Hake On Manoj Jarange Patil
Meanwhile, in a swipe at Jarange-Patil, OBC activist Laxman Hake said that making demands on the basis of mob strength is unconstitutional and dictatorial and will disturb peace in Maharashtra.
Speaking to reporters from a hospital in Jalna, Hake said, "There is a judgment that says considering Marathas and Kunbis as one is foolishness. Elected representatives should read such court judgments. If people making the law are unaware of these facts then it is dangerous."
He also took a jibe at Jarange who has accused OBC leader and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal of creating a rift between Marathas and backward classes.
“If anyone is making a statement in a poetic style, his words cannot be interpreted with the literal meaning. Such language is used for boosting the confidence of the people,” he claimed.
