'Shinde-Fadnavis Government Will Fall If Marathas Don't Get Reservation': Quota Activist Jarange Patil Warns Mahayuti

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Sunday (11 August) warned the Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra that they have a last chance to bring reservations for the Maratha community, or else the government will fail.

The Mahayuti government is led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and has the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Assembly elections in Maharashtra are due later this year and the Mahayuti parties have decided to contest the election as an alliance.

"Marathas are being harassed everywhere. They are neither getting jobs nor education. Maratha officers are not getting promotions," Jarange alleged while addressing a rally in Pune.

"During the Lok Sabha elections, we demonstrated our strength… Those who are against me are being made MLCs through the back door," he said without naming BJP’s Pankaja Munde who was elected as an MLC last month.

Jarange alleged that Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is trying to defame him and with the support of BJP leaders like Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lad wants to incite violence.

He warned Narayan Rane, without naming him and said, "He should not listen to Fadnavis and target the Maratha community. Otherwise, the Maratha community will give him a befitting reply."

Jarange is also planning to field candidates in the Magarashtra assembly elections and said, "The decision will be taken at Antarwali Saraati in Jalna district on August 29."