Questions over Jarange's fast withdrawal: contract, payoff and ED probe claims

Maratha reservation movement leader Manoj Jarange Patil has called off his hunger strike, triggering a flurry of allegations in political circles. As soon as the strike was suspended at Patoda in Beed district, opposition parties and some of Jarange's former associates began levelling serious allegations against the movement, with debate raging over its intent, money transfers, contractor links and political settlements.

Jarange's former associate Amol Khune claimed there had been large-scale money transfers during the movement. At a press conference, he said there should be an investigation into who funded the movement, how the money was brought in and where it was kept. Khune also made the startling claim that Jarange had taken a payoff of Rs 6 crore from MLA Abdul Sattar to defame Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat. Khune stopped short of directly naming any minister or MLA but said the ED and other investigating agencies would uncover the full accounting.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar reacted sharply, alleging a settlement between the government and Jarange. He said this was not the first time Jarange's agitation had been suspended, and that the government always caved before him, granting all his demands even after he had openly abused the chief minister, deputy chief ministers and ministers. Wadettiwar claimed the government had stalled about Rs 1,400 crore worth of contracts linked to people close to Jarange, and that anger over the stalled contracts was what drove Jarange's march towards Mumbai, after which a settlement was reached and the strike withdrawn. He also questioned whether the demand to grant certificates under the Hyderabad Gazette and later frame a separate law for their validity was correct, saying time would tell, but that the entire process would cause heavy losses to the OBC community.

Maratha reservation researcher Ajay Maharaj Baraskar launched a sharp attack on Jarange, calling the 20 day hunger strike a drama. He alleged that the son of the sarpanch of Antarwali Sarati and a contractor had struck a deal with minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. Citing a social media post, Baraskar questioned what contractor Kishor Balande was doing at the spot where Jarange ended his fast. He asked how Balande's firm Manik Infra had secured contracts worth Rs 750 crore in recent years, and why companies of those who mediated in the movement kept getting contracts. He directly asked whether Balande had received an ED notice, and whether the movement was withdrawn precisely to stall that notice.

Shiv Sena secretary Dr Sanjay Lakhe Patil also said Jarange's movement had turned entirely political. He alleged that Jarange had taken a payoff to carry out the personal, political and social character assassination of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. According to Lakhe Patil, the plot to defame Shinde was hatched while Jarange's son was undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai. He also said that granting Kunbi certificates was not possible because lineage records could not be found under the Hyderabad Gazetteer.

Jarange supporter and associate Gangadhar Kalkute hit back at these allegations, asking whether Amol Khune and Ajay Maharaj Baraskar had become spokespersons for the ED. Kalkute announced that he would personally approach the ED office this coming Wednesday or Thursday to formally seek an appointment, asking to be called in, questioned or arrested. He warned that if the allegations proved baseless, defamation cases would be filed against Khune and Baraskar as soon as he returned from Mumbai, and challenged them to produce evidence for their claims or be ready for a court fight.

The Maratha reservation movement led by Manoj Jarange Patil has drawn attention across Maharashtra. But as the movement has progressed, it has also thrown up internal disagreements, allegations of money transfers, contractor names and claims of political settlements. While Amol Khune, Vijay Wadettiwar, Ajay Maharaj Baraskar and Sanjay Lakhe Patil have levelled serious allegations of corruption and political conspiracy against the movement, Jarange's supporters have rejected all the allegations and threatened legal action. Whether these allegations are investigated in the coming days, or whether this remains a political war of words, will be worth watching.