Minister Chhagan Bhujbal to government: ‘Does rule of law exist in Maharashtra?’

“If I say anything intellectuals in Maharashtra are accusing me of trying to create rift between two communities.. .I hold rallies once in a fortnight. Jarange has been holding rallies for last 15 days. The rallies are held at midnight, 1 am or even at 2 am while we have to shut down at 10 pm. We don’t know whether he has taken permission or not… Police do not take any action. Whatever he says, no eyebrows are raised. But when I speak, they say I am disturbing peace in the state. There is one law for him and there is another law for us. He has become a law unto himself,” Bhujbal said, addressing an OBC rally at Indapur in Pune district on Saturday afternoon.

Citing another instance how Jarange-Patil is calling the shots, Bhujbal said, “In Pimpri Nirmal area of Rahata taluka, two Dalit families did not vote in local election for a Maratha candidate. They were beaten up. A mob of 500 people targeted and destroyed their home. A little girl was telling me that she was flung on to a boulder…So far cases against 71 persons have been filed. But till yesterday, no one has been arrested. What is this going on ?”

Bhujbal further said, “In Tulsi village, the barber community was targetted for not voting in favour of Maratha candidate. A doctor from Phaltan met me, he told me his hospital was targetted and patients were made to flee…I want to ask whether law and order exists or not in this state ? Whose responsbility it is to look after the law and order ?”

Recalling the police lathi-charge incident at Antarwali-Saraati in September said, Bhujbal said, “Jarange was holding the fast in the village. When the police came to take him to the hospital, stones were thrown at them. Several police personnel were injured. Women cops were also targetted. They were taken to hospital. The police then retaliated in defence… Yesterday in the state legislative assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave written a reply. He said the crowd turned violent in which 79 police personnel were injured. The police then used reasonable force in defence in which 50 agitators were injured. This fact should have come to light at that time itself. But only one side came forward. As a result, he (Jarange) got all the sympathy.”

The minister added that the police personnel where targetted in Nanded and Beed too. “The question is who is spreading unrest in Maharashtra ? Did I say that we will come equipped with swords and other weapons ? But he (Jarange) is saying it… He said that in Yeovatmal. He said we have swords and ‘kurhads’…He is saying that after December 24, he will settle my account, he will target me..What is this going on ?,” the Bhujbal asked.

Stating that they were not opposing Maratha reservation, Bhujbal said, “We are opposing the ‘Jhundshahi’ and the ‘dadagiri’ which is going on… If this ‘dadagiri’ continues, we will hit back with ‘dadagiri’..Then don’t blame us for spreading unrest…I want to tell the government and the police that if they don’t control this people (Marathas), then there will be unrest in Maharashtra.”

Bhujbal said in Beed, houses and hotels of MLAs were targetted with petrol bombs. “Muslims communities rescued the family members of the MLAs…Attack our own people, attack their women and chldren. Did Chhatrapati Shivaji teach them to target people like this ?,”he asked.

Bhujbal also asked Maratha intellectuals to speak up on the issue. Ridiculing Jarange-Patil’s demand for Kunbi certificates for all Marathas, Bhujbal said, “He is demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas which means there will be no more Marathas in Marathas. He should first ask Maratha leaders whether they want Kunbi certificates.”
Mimicking Jarange’s style of speaking, Bhujbal said,”He can’t even speak proper Hindi..”