Maratha activist accuses Manoj Jarange of Rs 1,000 crore scam, complains to ED

If Maratha agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil's assets come out into the open, the Maratha community itself will not spare him, Maratha activist Ajay Barskar has warned. Barskar alleges that people close to Jarange Patil have amassed huge illegal wealth in the name of the agitation. The allegation is expected to heat up both the Maratha movement and the political atmosphere.

Barskar has accused Manoj Jarange of a scam worth Rs 1,000 crore and said he has filed a complaint about it with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He said he lodged the complaint against Jarange and his associates with the ED 15 days ago. He claims that people close to Jarange Patil have amassed huge illegal money under the cover of the agitation. Citing an example, Barskar said Pandurang Tarak earlier had only 10 gunthas of land, and now owns 50 acres. He said they have bought land worth crores of rupees in Antarwali and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Barskar also alleged that Jarange Patil initially said he held open discussions and did not talk behind closed doors, but later held closed-door discussions and reached settlements with leaders of all political parties. Barskar challenged Jarange to clarify what was discussed behind closed doors with leaders including Uday Samant, Sandipan Bhumre, Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan.

Barskar further said that just as big leaders used to touch the feet of Captain Ashok Kharat, who later went to jail once his true character came out, Manoj Jarange is similarly a social "Kharat Baba". According to him, Jarange is cheating the Maratha community by staging hunger strikes. Barskar claimed that Jarange's agitation has now become addicted to hunger strikes, and that he takes glucose through saline in the name of fasting. He said Jarange should now formally end the fast, but is unable to leave the protest venue.

Barskar alleged that Jarange misled the Maratha community at Antarwali Sarati on September 2 by raising the slogan "Jinklo Re Raja". He said Jarange cheated the Maratha community, especially women, on issues such as the Hyderabad Gazette GR and "Sagesoyare".

Claiming that more than 350 youths have died in the Maratha agitation, Barskar also questioned Jarange's use of an expensive vehicle. He said youths lost their lives in the movement, yet Jarange felt nothing while using a Defender vehicle worth about Rs 2 crore. Barskar further alleged that those who joined Jarange were largely not genuinely needy Marathas but sand traders and contractors in large numbers.