Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on January 2 alleged that junior officers in the Justice (retd.) Sandeep Shinde committee set up by the Maharashtra government to expedite the process of granting reservation to the Marathas were behaving in a “casteist manner” while stating that the process of finding proofs showing Marathas as Kunbi other backward class (OBC) was moving at a snail’s pace.
Speaking at Jalna’s Antarwali Sarathi village, Mr. Jarange-Patil further warned the Eknath Shinde-led government that Maratha community members would storm Mumbai on January 20 in more than ten lakh vehicles.
He said that agitators would blockade the residences of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in Mumbai and their respective hometowns in Nagpur and Baramati if the administration tried to block peaceful Maratha quota agitators from entering Mumbai.
Later in the evening, CM Shinde chaired a meeting of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha Reservation after which he instructed all Divisional Commissioners, Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to give priority to completing the socio-economic survey to prove the backwardness of the Maratha community.
“The survey work should be completed in a timely manner. Questionnaires have been sent to all Collectors to conduct the survey and the work should be done without error. This survey is very important to prove the educational and social backwardness of the Maratha community. If that happens, we can make a strong case in the Supreme Court for granting a quota for the Marathas,” Mr. Shinde said.
Speaking to CM Shinde through video-conferencing, Mr. Jarange-Patil, however, accused the government of not taking the quota issue seriously.
“What is the use of the Justice Shinde committee if junior officers are neither checking proofs nor making records available. In several districts of Marathwada, not a single proof showing Marathas to be Kunbi OBCs is being checked by these officers. Why are they behaving in a casteist manner? How are we to get justice in this way,” alleged a miffed Jarange-Patil, complaining to CM Shinde.
He also raised the question of the alleged delay in the withdrawal of cases lodged against Maratha protestors.
“Minister Girish Mahajan had promised that the cases would be taken back in two days. However, it is more than four months now, yet not a single case has been withdrawn. On the contrary, new cases have been lodged against innocent Maratha students,” Mr. Jarange-Patil said.
He remained insistent on his demand that the governemnt grant ONC certificates to all members of the family even if proofs showing even a single person of that family to have been Kunbis were found.
“Mr. Chief Minister, you had given your word during my hunger strike that reservation should be given to the entire family of the person whose records [showing him to be a Kunbi OBC were found,” he said.
CM Shinde assured Mr. Jarange-Patil that he would take appropriate action against those junior officers who were reportedly not checking proofs received, while telling the activist that his objections were being taken seriously.
