The leaders of the Maratha community has asserted that they cannot promise their future agitations would be peaceful if the state government does not accede to their demands, putting pressure on Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
One of the leaders of Maratha community, Ravindra Kale, while speaking with reporters in Aurangabad on Monday said, “"We can't guarantee whether the forthcoming Mumbai morcha would be peaceful. It will depend on the steps that the state government will take to resolve our issues. If our demands are not met, then there will be an 'udrek' (outbreak of violence). This is our signal to the government.”
The Maratha community in Maharashtra have been agitating since previous few weeks for the reservation to the community in education and government jobs as well as death penalty to the accused in Kopardi rape case. The other demand of the community is to scrap or reform the Atrocities Act as they have alleged that the act is being misused by many against the other communities.
According to the reports, the leaders of the Maratha rallies are on touch with few members of the BJP, who have supported Maratha rallies to remove the current CM Fadnavis from the power. However, according to a BJP leader, removing Fadnavis would not be easy as “He enjoys the confidence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah, though there are a few in the party who have been backing the protestors. They will be taken to task.”
A media report by the leading newspaper daily had earlier reported that how Maratha leaders are agitating on the line of Patidar agitation in Gujarat, which resulted into the ousting of Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. The Maratha leaders among the BJP and the other political parties are trying the same against CM Fadnavis in Maharashtra, according to the experts.
A leader from a political party has been quoted by a leading daily as saying, “Their threat to indulge in violence is not surprising. This was the plan all along. If there is violence, then Maratha and other leaders in the BJP would make a clamour for Fadnavis' removal, saying that he has not been able to manage protests as he is a Brahmin.”
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By Prajakt K
