Mumbai, Aug 24 (PTI) Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan on Sunday asked activist Manoj Jarange to exercise restraint, saying it was Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who first gave something tangible on Maratha quota.
Speaking to reporters over various issues, he also criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Jarange, who has called for a protest in Mumbai from August 29, earlier accused Fadnavis of provoking the Maratha community by creating “minor” hurdles. “Fadnavis should not use the police to trouble us. I’m coming to Mumbai and we will meet there,” he said in Beed.
Mahajan said that justice to the Maratha community was first ensured by CM Fadnavis.
“It was Fadnavis who first gave something tangible on the Maratha reservation. Unfortunately, the decision did not stand in court, but no previous government had given anything in this regard. One must be mindful of what is being said and against whom,” he said.
Advising Jarange to exercise restraint, Mahajan said everyone agrees that Fadnavis first delivered something on the reservation issue.
Jarange has been demanding reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
“To call him (Fadnavis) cruel has no meaning and will find no support. You have your demands, and they should be put forward through the right means. But when speaking, one must keep control over their tongue,” said Mahajan.
The minister targeted MNS chief Raj Thackeray over his ‘vote theft’ allegations, saying people simply don’t accept him.
“In the BEST (employees cooperative credit society) elections, he could not even get a single seat. Every time, he blames ballot papers, voter lists or machines. The truth is the people have rejected him, and still he keeps inventing new excuses,” said Mahajan.
Raj Thackeray on Saturday said he had been talking about ‘vote theft’ since 2016, and the Election Commission should have conducted a probe when both Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the BJP’s Anurag Thakur alleged voter list frauds.
Attacking Gandhi, Mahajan said the Congress leader is left with no real political work.
“When you won a large mandate in Maharashtra during the Lok Sabha elections, did we cry about it? We did not. We went back to the people and prepared again. Every time you lose, you blame machines or voter lists. Enough of this drama, people are no longer ready to accept you,” he added.
The BJP leader said Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray failed to connect with people or deliver on governance when he was the CM of Maharashtra.
“Instead of indulging in empty talk, Uddhav Thackeray should have gone among the people, spoken to them and mobilised his party workers. People had given him two and a half years, though in reality, he grabbed the post through betrayal. What did he achieve in that period,” Mahajan asked.
“Uddhav Thackeray never stepped out of his house, corruption marred contracts for handling dead bodies during the pandemic, and many are in jail because of it. For Marathi people, what did he do during the COVID-19 crisis,” the minister asked while speaking to reporters.
About the posts of guardian ministers, Mahajan said every leader had the right to seek the position, but the final decision rests with party leadership. The appointment of guardian minister remains pending for Nashik and Raigad districts.
Referring to NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal chairing a meeting concerning the Nashik Kumbh Mela, Mahajan said the proposed event is on a massive scale and Bhujbal’s long administrative experience would prove useful in its preparations. PTI ND NR
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