Jarange is my brother, says Amruta Fadnavis amid Maratha quota stir

Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has described Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil as her “brother” and invited him to her home for a meal amid his ongoing agitation for reservation for the community.

“Jarange Patil ji is my brother and I invite him to come for a meal at our home,” she told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nagpur on Wednesday night.

Jarange has been agitating at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district for the past 13 days, demanding reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

He has also been seeking implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records and issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community.

Amid the protest, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said his government would do whatever was permissible under the Constitution to address the demands, but would not take away the share of one community to give it to another.

“We will do everything that is possible. We have never closed the doors for dialogue. A government finds a solution through discussions, and the entire process is moving forward in that spirit,” he had said.

Amruta Fadnavis also on Wednesday said festivals should be inclusive and there was nothing wrong with a Muslim person attending celebrations.

Her comments came after Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane backed the Vishva Hindu Parishad's call to bar Muslims from Navratri events.

“Navratri and garba are very good ways to give people a glimpse of Hindu religion,” she said, adding that the festivities could also help introduce the world to the uniqueness of Hindu traditions.

The VHP last week announced that Muslims would not be allowed entry to garba and dandiya venues across Maharashtra during Navratri, which begins on October 11.