Manoj Jarange Patil is fighting a fascist regime: AAP's Sanjay Singh meets Maratha quota activist

Mumbai: The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday called upon the government to bring in a Constitutional amendment and lift the ceiling of existing reservations in Maharashtra and increase it on the lines of Tamil Nadu.

Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, who is a close associate of the AAP’s national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil.

“Kunbi Marathas are farmers and have been bearing the brunt of agrarian distress and related farmer suicides. Their demand is legitimate. Manoj Jarange Patil is fighting a fascist regime. He must prioritise his health and take whatever decision keeping his health in mind. They have a valid demand and have been voicing the same for years together. The Government of Maharashtra has time and again, given them false assurances and has done nothing,” Singh said slamming the ruling BJP-led Maha Yuti dispensation.

“The Kunbi Marathas are stuck in debt traps and don’t get the right price for their agricultural produce and consequently have been committing suicides. We support their demand for reservation and call on the government to enable reservation for them without impacting the existing reservation for the OBCs. The government must bring in a constitutional amendment and lift the ceiling of existing reservations in Maharashtra by increasing it, on the lines of Tamil Nadu,” he added.

AAP Mumbai president Preeti Sharma-Menon too hit out at the BJP-RSS. “I am ashamed as a Maharashtrian that the government hasn’t provided the basic necessities like water and sanitation to the protestors and have gone to the extent of shutting down restaurants and eateries in the areas. This shows the fascist mindset of the RSS and the BJP, which far from enabling the constitutional right to protest is suppressing dissent,” she said.

"In Maharashtra, we have the progressive tradition of supporting everyone who walks for their cause and it is sad to see our Govt frustrating efforts which are targeted at injustice,” she added.

“This is not a Zero Sum Game as is being projected by the government and the powers that be. Every marginalized community has a right to access affirmative action provided by the Government. The government must cease from creating a false binary and must proactively work towards reconciling these demands. The BJP doesn’t have the political will to do it and we have seen the same in state after state,” added AAP Mumbai working president Ruben Mascarenhas.