Chhagan Bhujbal crosses swords with Jarange Patil over Maratha quota

OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal called on OBCs to spread "terror" to get things done, while Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil warned of "choking" lifelines of politicians if demands not met.

With the Eknath Shinde-led tripartite government struggling to meet the demands of Maratha reservation agitators, sparks flew on Monday between Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, a leader of the ruling Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction and Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil after Mr. Bhujbal, an influential Other Backward Class (OBC) leader, called upon the OBC community to not suffer in silence and spread “terror” to ensure things got done.

Mr. Bhujbal is a vocal opponent of Mr. Jarange Patil’s demand of granting a blanket reservation to Marathas by giving them OBC certificates and including them in the OBC Kunbi category.

Speaking in Jalna district in the State’s Marathwada region, Mr. Bhujbal claimed that OBC activists were being targeted and he was raising his voice on behalf of the community to safeguard the rights of OBCs.

“We must speak up if we are facing any injustice… now it is time to spread terror and get things done,” Mr. Bhujbal said in a thinly-veiled allusion to Mr. Jarange Patil’s pressure tactics to move the State government to fulfil his demands.

Mr. Bhujbal further said that while he was not opposed to Marathas getting a quota, he stressed they ought to be given reservations separate from the OBC quota.

“In cases where old Kunbi certificates from the Nizam-era have been found, these Marathas should be given the OBC Kunbistatus. But now, this number seems to be swelling and there is a demand for blanket reservation for the Marathas to be given OBC Kunbi certificates. This is like securing reservation through the back door,” Mr. Bhujbal said.

Mr. Bhujbal further demanded a probe into the assault on the policemen who tried to control a restive mob of Maratha quota agitators on September 29 in Jalna’s Antarwali-Sarathi village, where Mr. Jarange-Patil was on a fast.