Maratha quota: Heat on Devendra Fadnavis singeing it, Shinde govt hardens stance against activist

Soon after Jarange Patil said, “Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis wants to do my encounter. They are slowly poisoning me through saline,” Shinde shot back on Sunday evening, telling the activist to not “cross his limits”.

The state government also lodged cases against Jarange Patil, over demonstrations held by his supporters without permission at two sites.

On Monday, Jarange Patil announced he was ending his 17-day-old fast, but said he would continue his agitation. “Three-four youths will sit here and fast every day for our demands. I will also visit some villages and explain my stand to them,” he said.

A Maratha leader, Shinde has earned much of the credit for defusing the series of crises sparked off by Jarange Patil’s agitation, including fasts unto death and threats of marching to Mumbai. On the other hand, the activist has reserved his brickbats for BJP leader and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil. (Express file photo by Pavan Khengre)

But, having met Jarange Patil’s central demand for a quota for Marathas, and promised that this 10% would be beyond the share for OBCs, the BJP feels its government has done its due. Jarange Patil is insisting now that Marathas who are kith and kin of those holding Kunbi certificates be additionally eligible for OBC quota. The government has said it is “considering” this, and wants Jarange Patil to call off his stir.

Shinde’s attack on the activist also follows the realisation that Jarange Patil’s continuing tirade against Fadnavis is helping the Opposition’s claim of discord within the ruling coalition. Hints have been dropped by Opposition leaders of how Shinde is gaining at Fadnavis’s expense, and establishing his political credentials – both handy ahead of seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections.

Recently, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, “Fadnavis surely knows whose political patronage Jarange Patil enjoys when he makes such remarks against him.”

Congress president Nana Patole said the ruling coalition’s claims that the Opposition was instigating Jarange Patil had no basis. “All is not well within the ruling alliance, this is evident from the developments. Why hold the Opposition responsible?”

Fadnavis has said there would be “no compromise on law and order”. “In a democracy, everybody has the right to protest. But if anybody takes the law in his or her hands, it will be dealt with firmly.”

A Brahmin leader who was picked by the BJP as CM after the 2014 elections, in a break from tradition of going with Maratha faces, Fadnavis has earlier too faced the brunt of Maratha quota protests.

In 2016-17, when he was CM, the Marathas had erupted over the killing of a girl from the community, which had soon morphed into a reservation protest.

BJP leaders also point to the sudden rise of Jarange Patil from near obscurity after his first fast in August 2023, following an inexplicable police lathicharge on fellow protesters. Fadnavis was blamed as he holds the Home portfolio, and ultimately apologised.

Senior minister and Ajit Pawar NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has been critical of Jarange Patil’s agitation, claims a “narrative” had been set following the lathicharge. “Fadnavis, for no fault of his, was made to seek an apology”, he said, adding that this did not just demoralise the police but also emboldened the protesters, who had faced action for indulging in violence.

A senior BJP functionary asked why the blame had fallen on Fadnavis and not Shinde, despite the latter being the head of the government. Adding that Shinde, who met Jarange Patil twice to try and end the protest, “could have handled things better”, he said that the impression that the Cabinet was divided “further strengthened Jarange Patil”.

Two months later, in November 2023, Jarange Patil said: “Fadnavis has the habit of creating mischief… Making one community fight another… do you think we will be intimidated?”

A BJP minister said that their attempts to make peace with Jarange Patil had also been met with abuse of Fadnavis by the activist.

Slamming the activist, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said: “Any disrespect against Fadnavis is totally unacceptable.”

Praising the Deputy CM, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said it were Fadnavis’s efforts that had led to the formation of the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission, which first recommended a Maratha quota back in 2018, though this had later run into a court case.

“Lakhs of karyakartas take inspiration from Fadnavis. His commitment and credibility are very high,” said Bawankule.