No one is above the law, Ajit Pawar warns Manoj Jarange-Patil

Without naming Jarange-Patil, Ajit said that “some people” had indicated that they would take extreme steps after coming to Mumbai

MUMBAI: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday warned Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil that the government would not tolerate anybody attempting to disrupt the law-and-order situation. He also said that no one was above the law.

Mumbai, India – Jan 07, 2024: Maharashtra DCM Ajit Pawar, NCP (Ajit Pawar Faction) leader Sunil Tatkare, NCP (Ajit Pawar Faction) leader Praful Patel, NCP (Ajit Pawar Faction) leader Chagan Bhujbal during activists communication convention held at Shanmukhanand Hall, at Sion, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, Jan 07, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

This is the first time that someone from the government has admonished Jarange-Patil after he declared his foot march to Mumbai and subsequent agitation in the city for Maratha reservation. “The Maratha community should get reservation; no one disagrees with that,” said Ajit, while addressing a party conclave at Varap in Kalyan district on Sunday morning. “Chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and I are also of the same opinion. But the total reservation quota of the state has reached 62 per cent, hence we have to explore new legal ways to provide more reservation.”

Without naming Jarange-Patil, Ajit said that “some people” had indicated that they would take extreme steps after coming to Mumbai. “The country is still following the principles laid down by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Constitution,” he said. “If someone is trying to unsettle the law-and-order situation, it will not be tolerated. No one is above the law.”

Ajit himself is from the Maratha community. But Chhagan Bhujbal, another minister in the NCP and an OBC leader, has been openly opposing Jarange-Patil’s demands, which impinge on his own votebank. Jarange-Patil has been demanding reservation from the OBC quota, and to this end has announced a foot march from Jalna to Mumbai, where he will begin an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan to press for his demands.

To oppose his demand, OBC leaders from different political parties and outfits have come together and are holding a series of rallies across the state. One such rally was held on Sunday in Nanded, which was attended by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar for the first time.

Jarange-Patil responded to Ajit Pawar’s salvo by reiterating that the Maratha agitators would return from Mumbai only after getting what they wanted. “Why is Ajit Pawar opposing our demand when he is also aware that 54 lakh records of Marathas with Kunbi antecedents have been found so far?” he demanded. “Based on these records, the state government has started issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas in the state.” Kunbis are Marathas but get reservation benefits as a sub-caste of the OBC community.