Chhagan Bhujbal Claims Threat To Life From Manoj Jarange-Patil Over Anti-Maratha Stand: 'Have Police Inputs, Would Be Shot'

NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Chhagan Bhujbal (left) claimed on Wednesday that Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil and his supporters had threatened him for his reservation stand.

During a debate on Maratha reservation in the assembly, the food and civil supplies minister said he had police inputs that he would be shot for taking an anti-Maratha stand.

“The activists set houses of two MLAs on fire during the Maratha reservation protests. They included the NCP legislator from Beed, Prakash Solanke, whose house was vandalised and car set on fire. The house of MLA Sandeep Kshirsgar was also set on fire in Beed during the same protests. The next number could be mine, but I am ready to die,” he said.

Bhujbal's Stand On OBC Reservation

Bhujbal reiterated that OBC reservation should not be reduced while granting Maratha reservation, and said the Maratha community had sufficient representation in the government and jobs.

Replying to Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan’s barbs against him for using provocative language against Marathas, Bhujbal said he would be happier if the former chief minister had paid visit to homes of Solanke and Kshirsagar.

“Did you tell Jarange-Patil not to threaten me or others? Did you tell him not to threaten the government to grant reservation before a deadline?” he asked Chavan.

Shiv Sena leader Bhaskar Jadhav questioned why police lathi-charged protesters at Jarange-Patil’s village of Antarwali Sarati in September, which led to statewide protests. “Even the Guinness Book of Records has taken note of the Maratha community’s peaceful marches. Those marches did not require any police presence. Why did the protests take place then?” he asked.