Jarange slams right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide for questioning Maratha quota

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange took a swipe at rightwing leader Sambhaji Bhide who allegedly questioned the need for reservation for Marathas reported news agency PTITalking to reporters on Sunday Jarange alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was using Bhide as a new weapon against himBhide is speaking Fadnaviss words and he is being used as a new weapon against me The Maratha community is going farther away from Fadnavis and the BJP Jarange claimed reported PTIHe also slammed Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal over his statement about the number of Marathas who attended his rally in Nashik reported PTIBhujbal a leader of the Other Backward Classes OBC community on Sunday claimed that only 8000 Marathas had attended Jaranges rally in Nashik on August 13The Maratha quota activist held rallies in Solapur Sangli Kolhapur Satara Pune Ahmednagar and Nashik in the last couple of weeksBhujbal is a member of the state government and Fadnavis is the home minister The police belong to them We know how many Marathas were in the rally If Bhujbal is keeping a count of Marathas taking to the streets he should be made an officer of the regional transport office RTO and handed a whistle to count Marathas in vehicles he said reported PTIMaratha quota activist Manoj Jarange 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 dilutedMeanwhile a group of Maratha quota activists confronted NCP SP Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil and sought the partys stand on the issue of reservations for the community reported PTIThe incident took place during the Sharad Pawarled partys Shivrajya Yatra in Badnapur on Sunday Patil was accompanied by Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe and MLA Rajesh Tope reported PTIThe activists wanted Patil to make a statement on the partys stand on granting reservations to Marathas in jobs and educationThe NCP SP leader experienced a similar episode in Ghanswanghi which is just a few kilometres away from Antarwali Sarati the epicentre of the Maratha quota stir being led by activist Manoj Jarange reported PTIIn Bhokardan during an event associated with the yatra several people indulged in sloganeering leading to Patil not delivering his speech eye witnesses said reported PTIPatil ended the event by saying Tope had spoken well so there was no need for him to add anything more reported PTIHe also admonished the crowd for indiscipline and said those indulging in such acts were helping BJP leader and former Union minister Raosaheb Danve who hails from BhokardanWith inputs from PTI