Shinde says false charges will not be tolerated amid calls for action against Patil

Patil on Sunday accused Fadnavis of trying to eliminate him and end his movement demanding reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday warned that anyone making false allegations and stooping low will not be tolerated amid calls for action against Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil for levelling charges against deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Maharshtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. (HT PHOTO)

Patil on Sunday accused Fadnavis of trying to eliminate him and end his movement demanding reservation for Marathas under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back saying Patil was operating at the behest of the opposition.

Shinde said they gave quota to Marathas that will withstand judicial scrutiny without injustice but people started a discussion that it will not stand in court if challenged. “There is no basis for this,” said Shinde in the state assembly as BJP lawmakers demanded a probe against Patil.

Shinde said he set aside protocol and met Patil twice. He added Patil has criticised him too and insulted all. “This is not the language of an activist, but the language smacks of political agenda,’’ said Shinde.

BJP lawmaker Pravin Darekar said when former chief minister Narayan Rane made the statement that he would slap the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, he was arrested. “Does Jarange Patil have a licence to speak against Fadnavis?’’

Ambadas Danve, the opposition leader in the legislative council, called for a probe into Patil’s allegations against Fadnavis. “Patil seems to have faith in Eknath Shinde.”

The government on Monday clamped down on Patil’s proposed march to Fadnavis’s residence in Mumbai and acted against his close aides. It decided against any further dialogue and to keep him within the confines of Ambad in Jalna before Patil went back on his decision to march. Patil also announced the end of his 17-day-long hunger strike.

BJP leaders have alleged that Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar was behind Patil’s outburst against Fadnavis.