Jarange asks BJP if it favours granting quota to Maratha community
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): Quota leader Manoj Jarange on Monday demanded that the ruling BJP clarify whether the Maratha community will be granted reservation under the OBC category in Maharashtra.
Addressing reporters at his indefinite hunger strike site in Jalna district, which began on July 20, Jarange accused the BJP of shifting the responsibility to opposition parties regarding the Maratha quota issue.
Jarange is observing fast for the implementation of a draft notification that recognises Kunbis as blood relatives of Maratha community members.
"Why keep asking the Opposition parties about their stand on the Maratha quota? The BJP should clarify whether Marathas are going to get the reservation or not," he said and accused the state government of exploiting the Maratha community as a "vote bank" without addressing their concerns.
Jarange criticised Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for asking opposition parties to clarify their stance on the Maratha quota, questioning the government's commitment to resolving the issue.
"The government has been in power for more than two years but instead of earmarking quota for Marathas (under the OBC category), they opened fire at protesters. How long will they keep giving the same assurance on quota?" he asked.
In response to BJP MLC Prasad Lad's appeal, Jarange stated that while he has been leading protests for the past ten months, he is not interested in entering politics.
"We don't want to join politics. However, if the Maratha community fails to get the reservation, they will have to join politics. They don't have any option left now," he said.
Additionally, Jarange accused Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal of inciting the OBC community and hinted at the possibility of launching a protest in Yeola assembly constituency, represented by Bhujbal, in Nashik district.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
