Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Aug 30 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said the Mahayuti government and fasting Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange are on the same page in supporting farmers, highlighting the state’s commitment to do justice to the community.
He addressed a rally of agriculturists in Parbhani city, opposed by Jarange, who demanded the cancellation of the “political event”, leading to the detention of some volunteers by the police.
On the second day of his indefinite hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, Jarange targeted Shinde, who belongs to the Maratha community, rebel Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Jadhav, and state minister Sanjay Shirsat over the farmer event.
“Farmers and the Maratha community people converged for the rally in large numbers. We don’t want to bring any politics into issues concerning farmers. This is the same policy of the government and Manoj Jarange,” Shinde said.
He recalled his meeting with Jarange when he was the chief minister and the outreach by the then government.
“The process to meet out justice to the Maratha community was rolled out by the previous government (2014-2019, headed by Devendra Fadnavis). We will not snatch the rights of one community and give them to another.
He said the erstwhile BJP-Shiv Sena government had approved a 12-13 per cent reservation to Marathas.
Jarange, who held multiple fasts in the past, has been demanding that eligible Marathas be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian community that enjoys reservation benefits in education and government jobs under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
“The Maharashtra government should declare all Marathas as Kunbi,” the activist told reporters in Jalna district.
He warned of marching to Mumbai and intensifying the agitation if the government fails to accept his demands by September 12.
Shinde referred to various initiatives launched by the state government for the welfare of the Maratha community.
”We understood the pain of Jarange and recognised his efforts for the Maratha community, leading to the formation of the Justice Shinde (retd) Committee, Justice Sukre Commission. These initiatives resulted in the rollout of Kunbi certificate distribution,” the Shiv Sena leader added. He said the government had also provided a ten per cent quota without affecting the share of any community.
In a veiled dig at the erstwhile MVA government headed by Sena (UB) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde accused it of failing to decide despite the dispensation containing several prominent Maratha leaders.
Shinde said the incumbent Mahayuti government would not step back from its commitment to ensuring justice for the Maratha community and was taking further decisions in this regard.
“The government had allocated Rs 300 crore to SARTHI and extended facilities to the Maratha community on the lines of those available to the OBC community. The government had decided to provide compensation and jobs to members of families who lost their lives during the Maratha reservation agitation,” he added, alluding to demands of Jarange.
Shinde said he had tried to do as much as possible for the Maratha community during his tenure as chief minister and remained willing to take further steps after examining legal feasibility (of Jarange’s demands).
“This rally is not a challenge to anyone. You (Manoj Jarange) have the support of the community and farmers, and the government is also behind both. We both are thinking in the same way—that the poor should get justice without taking anything away from anyone else. I tried to do as much as I could when I was chief minister. I will continue to do so after checking the legalities,” Shinde added. PTI AW NSK
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