Mumbai: Days after both State Legislature houses passed a Bill for a separate 10% quota for Marathas, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday departed from his conciliatory tone and accused activist Manoj Jarange of constantly changing his demands.
Warning him against testing Government’s patience, Shinde said Jarange was now speaking a “political language” and was certain that he was being puppeteered by someone else after the latter made wild allegations against Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Shinde also took a swipe at the Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) while responding to Jarange.
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Speaking in Antarwali Sarati earlier in the day, Jarange said Fadnavis was trying to kill him. Jarange had also said a poisoning attempt was made against him through saline, though he did not elaborate on the claim.
“Those who are protesting again and again against the Government must not test our patience. They should not create a law and order problem. I wonder why Jarange’s speech looks like the script generally used by Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray,” Shinde said.
Shinde was speaking to reporters on the eve of the session of the Maharashtra Legislature. Asked about Jarange’s aggressive stand and the use of expletives in his speeches, Shinde said action would be taken as per law. It is a conspiracy in progress and it would be exposed soon, the CM added.
Earlier, Fadnavis said the State Government has a fair idea about the people behind Jarange, adding that details would come out at an appropriate time. Asked about Jarange’s announcement that he would march to Mumbai to protest in front of Fadnavis’ bungalow, the Deputy CM said it was his official residence and anyone with any kind of work can visit it.
“I wonder why Jarange’s speech looks like the script generally used by Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray,” he said, adding the political conspiracy would soon be exposed. The CM’s aggressive stance came on a day Jarange levelled multiple allegations against Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, including about him hatching a plot to kill Jarange, which took even the activist’s supporters by surprise.
Shinde said Jarange was initially sincere about fighting for the cause of the Marathas and the Government was with him, but “now his language seems political”. “I can smell that someone is behind him who is making him talk,” he said. The CM said, “One should not test our patience. No one should take the law into their own hands.”
