Congress’ Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis to provide an enhanced security cover after he got certain threat messages.
The new round of threats came on Wadettiwar’s mobile phone and he himself revealed, while seeking more security as a precaution.
Wadettiwar has recently adopted a tough stance vis-à-vis Maratha quotas demanded by Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil through the OBC quotas, claiming this would not benefit Maratha youth.
The Congress’ OBC face, Wadettiwar said if the Marathas were granted ‘Kunbi Caste’ certificates, it would be doing injustice to the other 372 sub-castes falling under the OBCs.
He has called for a thorough survey by the state backward commission panel to determine eligibility as there are apprehensions among the OBCs that if the Marathas are granted ‘Kunbi Caste’ status, it would upset the OBCs’ existing quotas.
Though Wadettiwar has reiterated that OBCS are not opposed to Maratha reservation, he has taken strong umbrage at the moves to grant them quota from the OBC share – a stand adopted by ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party (AP) Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.
Wadettiwar further suggested that instead, the Marathas could be granted benefits under the EWS category within the 50 per cent reservation ceiling and avoid potential conflicts. This has been strongly opposed by Jarange-Patil and his supporters who have accused Wadettiwar of hatching conspiracies to deny the Marathas their rights and to divide their agitation, the current phase launched from August 29.
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