Manoj Jarange Patil, the prominent Maratha quota activist, has expressed his strong threat to the Maharashtra government to launch a nationwide strike against the recent cancellation of Other Backward Class certificates issued to Maratha people. The certificate holders are the people who achieved their ancestral Kunbi lineage with official historical documents at the taluka level. But now administrative actions by state-appointed caste validity committees have resulted in the suspension of many certificates by the government and there is political tension and there is a fresh wave of protests in the region.
Jarange Patil made serious claims against the top political figures and indicated that the cancellations were done under direct pressure from Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule. He said political pressure was exercised to force caste validity committees to revoke the certificates which had been legally issued based on documentary evidence of Kunbi origin. Challenging the rationale behind the revocations, the activist questions how verified historical records can be arbitrarily dismissed, and says that the community would not be silent while constitutional rights and reservations are systematically undermined by administrative actions.
The activist also turned the political heat on the top members of the ruling coalition and reminded state officials that Maratha citizens hold a significant electoral weight. Jarange Patil also criticized the political leadership saying that the administration was in power in the form of Maratha legislators and warned that the community had the power to influence the political future of ruling party members. Looking back at his previous political alliances he was deeply disappointed with the way the current administration is moving and this is a big step in this direction as community leaders will mobilize their supporters for a stronger opposition.
