Fadnavis warns Maratha quota stir could hurt community if it defies court

The Maratha reservation issue has flared up again. Manoj Jarange Patil has not changed his decision to stage an agitation in Mumbai and has begun his journey there. Mumbai Police had twice refused permission for his protest, after which Jarange has filed a fresh application. Jarange has taken the stand that whether or not permission is granted, he will go to Mumbai, and if needed, will protest alone at Azad Maidan.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given a strong response to Jarange's stance. Fadnavis said clearly that if the matter goes against the court, it is the Maratha community that will suffer the direct损失.

Fadnavis said the responsibility for deciding whether to grant permission for the agitation lies with the police. Jarange's application had earlier been rejected by the police, and he has now filed it again. He made clear that the police alone will decide on this application.

Fadnavis noted that Mumbai and Pune are currently in the midst of tremendous enthusiasm for Ganeshotsav, with the festival being celebrated on a large scale publicly, and he expressed hope that no disruption of any kind occurs during the celebrations.

Fadnavis said Manoj Jarange has protested before and has every right to protest again in future. However, he claimed that this time the government has accepted 12 of Jarange's 13 demands.

Fadnavis said the demand that could not be accepted involves legal difficulties, and that this has been explained to Jarange. He also made clear that taking a decision against matters connected to the courts could deal a direct blow to the Maratha community.

While Jarange has set out for Mumbai, the government is appealing to him to reconsider his decision to protest. The government's position is that ordinary people and devotees should face no trouble during Ganeshotsav. All eyes are now on whether Manoj Jarange reconsiders his stance on the Mumbai agitation following Fadnavis's appeal.