Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday alleged that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was conspiring to sabotage protests staged by the community for reservation in government jobs and education.

Addressing a gathering at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, Jarange claimed that Fadnavis was trying to defame him by roping in people to malign his image.

“When the lathi-charge happened during protests in Jalna last year, Fadnavis had to apologise. This hurt him deeply, so he is trying to sabotage the Maratha quota protest,” the activist said.

He claimed that the state government was run by Fadnavis, not Chief Minister Eknath Shinde or Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

The activist alleged that Fadnavis was trying to threaten the Marathas in the state, and the move would backfire on him.

He further said, “Unfortunately, some Maratha leaders in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were helping Fadnavis defame me.” Jarange warned that he would begin a protest at Sagar bungalow, the official residence of Fadnavis in Mumbai.

“If I die, place my body in front of his house,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category, but Jarange is firm on his demand for quota for the community under the Other Backward Class category.

The activist has also been demanding that the state government implement the draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas and called for non-violent road blockades across the state from Saturday.

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