Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was responding to Maratha quota activist Jarange’s claims
Devendra Fadnavis
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said he would quit politics if CM Eknath Shinde asserted that he was hindering the Maratha quota process, referring to allegations by activist Manoj Jarange.
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Stressing that government decisions are taken collectively, Shinde defended Fadnavis and called Jarange’s allegations against him baseless. Jarange is a strident critic of the senior BJP leader and has routinely accused him of being the main obstacle in the Maratha community’s quest for reservation in government jobs and education.
Stating that he knew Jarange has special affection for him, Fadnavis said at a press briefing, “Should CM Eknath Shinde assert that my presence poses a hindrance to reaching a decision concerning the Maratha quota, I shall tender my resignation and withdraw from politics.”
“We must not forget that a chief minister is the head of the state and is responsible for making all decisions. As citizens, we share the responsibilities. Decisions that benefitted the Maratha community were made either during my term as chief minister or under CM Eknath Shinde’s tenure. Creating such a narrative deliberately is wrong,” he claimed.
Jarange holds Fadnavis, also the state’s home minister, responsible for the police lathi charge on Maratha quota activists in Antarwali Sarati in Jalna in August last year. Speaking to reporters later, Shinde defended his deputy and rejected the allegations against him. “When Fadnavis was chief minister, he had given reservation to the Maratha community. The allegations of Jarange against Fadnavis are baseless.”
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