Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the state government for what he described as its continued 'pampering' of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil. The veteran OBC leader warned that any attempt to extend reservation benefits to the Maratha community under the OBC category would spark a severe agitation by Other Backward Classes across the state.
Bhujbal Lashes Out At Jarange
Bhujbal, who represents the influential OBC bloc in Maharashtra politics, convened a meeting of OBC politicians in Mumbai on Monday to chalk out a strategy to safeguard the community’s interests. “The Maratha community has already been provided adequate reservation. Does Jarange want 100 percent reservation for the Marathas, leaving other communities in the lurch?” Bhujbal asked, adding that any further enhancement would be unconstitutional. “Jarange needs to be told firmly that other communities also need reservation,” he added, as quoted by the Times of India.
The NCP leader, known for his aggressive stance on the quota issue, recalled that in late 2023 he had spearheaded a series of Elgar rallies across Maharashtra under the banner of his outfit, the All India Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad. At that time, Bhujbal had even tendered his resignation before the rallies began, accusing the government of adopting a lenient approach towards Jarange’s agitation. Then Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, however, did not accept the resignation.
'Govt Pampering Jarange,' Says Bhujbal
Reiterating his stand on Sunday, Bhujbal said, “Even now, the government is pampering Jarange by sending emissaries to placate him and deploying a group of ministers to hold talks on his demands. The government should tell him clearly that granting OBC quota status to Marathas is not possible, as it would violate the law.”
He also criticised the ongoing protests in Mumbai, which have led to traffic diversions, security lockdowns around Mantralaya and disruptions in daily life. “Mumbaikars are being hugely inconvenienced. Jarange’s stir could have been organised anywhere outside the city, but the government has allowed him to cripple normal life in the financial capital,” Bhujbal remarked.
