BJP's Danve asks opposition in Maharashtra to make stand clear on Maratha quota

BJP leader and former Union minister Raosaheb Danve on Wednesday said the opposition in Maharashtra must make its stand clear whether it wants to give reservation to Marathas from the OBC quota reported news agency PTITalking to reporters Danve who served as Maharashtra BJP chief in the past said his partys stand is clear that it wants to give reservation to Marathas without hurting the interests of other communitiesMaratha quota activists should go to leaders of all political parties and seek clarification on the stand taken by activist Manoj Jarange on Maratha reservation that they should be given reservation from the Other Backward Classes OBC quota They should go to the Congress first then the NCP SP and Shiv Sena UBT he said reported PTIThey the Maratha activists should insist that if you are going to give reservation from the OBC quota then you must add it in your manifesto Danve said reported PTIHis remarks come after Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the Maratha quota issue can only be addressed by the Centre by passing an amendment to remove the cap of 50 per cent reservation The state government Thackeray said does not have the authority to address this issueThe Maratha quota activists also met Thackeray at his residence on TuesdayShiv Sena UBT must make its stand clear He did not meet the activists for two days and then said this is the job to give quotas to Marathas of the Centre Danve said reported PTIHe said till the time the Maratha community didnt ask them for their stand on reservation they kept pointing fingers at the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra reported PTIThe moment the Maratha community started asking questions to the Maha Vikas Aghadi it pointed fingers at the Centre Danve addedMeanwhile Maratha Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday said the Maratha community was not staging any agitations at present claiming the protests seen in the state were sponsored by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar reported PTITalking to reporters in Jalna Jarange accused Darekar of trying to break the Maratha agitation and fooling the youthThe Maratha community is not staging any protest in the state If any agitation is taking place it is sponsored by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar and Devendra Fadnavis Protestors should stay with the community or else they will be defamed the activist said reported PTIJarange has been demanding the implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as sage soyare blood relatives of Maratha community members and reservation to the latter under the OBC category Kunbis enjoy quota benefits as OBCs However OBC members have stressed that their quota should not be dilutedThe Maratha community is capable of questioning anyone They can even go to Mumbai Protestors who are agitating now should decide who they wish to support Jarange said while appealing to people to attend his rallies in western Maharashtra from August 7 reported PTIWith inputs from PTI