Supriya Sule Faces Protesters' Anger At Azad Maidan; Jarange Urges Supporters To Show Restraint

NCP (SP) executive chief Supriya Sule had to face the ire of the Maratha quota protesters when she tried to meet Manoj Jarange Patil, who is sitting on indefinite hunger strike from Friday at Azad Maidan, on Sunday. Besides trying to gherao her, the protesters sloganeered against party chief Sharad Pawar. However, Sule could not meet Jarange as he was resting. He was feeling drowsy due to fasting, the MP said.

VIDEO | Mumbai: NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule meets Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil; demands an all-party meeting and a special session of the Maharashtra legislature to discuss the Maratha quota issue. She says, “From the very first day, I have been demanding that this issue… pic.twitter.com/R6tHdMJZ81

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Jarange Calls for Respect

Reacting to the episode, Jarange asked his supporters to learn to respect the leaders. “Don’t indulge in heckling else nobody will come to us,” he said while addressing them in the evening.

Mahayuti Leaders in Damage Control

Meanwhile, the MLAs belonging to the ruling Mahayuti have also started visiting Azad Maidan, apparently to prevent backlash in their constituencies.

Sule, who represents Baramati in Lok Sabha, had gone to meet Patil, who seeks the inclusion of the Marathas in the OBC category. While returning, the protesters blocked Sule's car and sloganeered against Sharad Pawar. “Nobody is opposing the Maratha reservation and the cabinet should make a decision, she told the media persons,” said Sule, demanding a special session of the state legislature and an all-party meeting to resolve the impasse.

In a veiled dig at her cousin and deputy CM Ajit Pawar, she further said that those who accuse Sharad Pawar of not taking any decision for Marathas were in power for several years in the Congress-NCP government. Ajit Pawar had reacted sharply against his uncle Sharad Pawar’s statement that to resolve the quota issue, a constitutional amendment was necessary to lift the 52% ceiling.

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Mahayuti leaders meet Jarange

Shinde Sena MLA Vilas Bhumre met Jarange at Azad Maidan and said that the latter's demands should be accepted. Bhumre is the son of Shiv Sena MP Sandipan Bhumre, who served as a minister when Shinde was the CM. Shinde is said to be in Dare, his native in Satara.

Vilas was accompanied by Raju Navghare, MLA from Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Interestingly, BJP MLA Suresh Dhas also met Jarange on Saturday. Earlier, his son Jaidatt had called on the activist. The meetings can be taken as an indication of the restlessness among the ruling combine.

As reported by the FPJ earlier, the protesters are keeping a close eye on the response of the MLAs, MPs from the community to the agitation. All these politicians are from Marathwada, where Jarange enjoys a huge support.