Those claiming Hindus in danger denying reservation to Marathas: Manoj Jarange Patil
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Maha) (PTI): Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil has said those who claim Hindus are in danger and seek their unity are responsible for denying reservation to Marathas, as he claimed that voters are ready to hand over a drubbing to the BJP-led ruling coalition in the Maharashtra assembly polls.
In his most explicit attack on the 'Mahayuti' government, he said interest of every section of society has suffered on its watch, asserting that Marathas will show their might in the polls.
In an interview to PTI, the 42-year-old activist, who has rallied a large section of Marathas in support of his demand for OBC quota for them, alleged that those who claim to work for Hindu unity have used his community to target Muslims but ignored its genuine demands.
"If you claim Hindus are in danger, then what about Marathas? Can't you see their children's troubles? If you say Hindus are in trouble, then it is also your responsibility to ensure the welfare of Marathas. A Hindu opposes us when we demand reservation, but when they have to target Muslims, they need Marathas to run after them with sticks," he said.
He was reacting to the BJP's slogans such as "batengein to katengein" and "ek hain to safe hain". Who will cut Hindus, he asked, noting that Marathas are the biggest Hindu caste in the state.
"We will settle our issues among ourselves. We follow the Hindutva of Chhatrapati (Shivaji). We will look after ourselves, you mind your own business," he added.
In his statements ahead of the November 20 polls, Patil has refrained from directly naming any party but the common belief among his supporters is that he is against the incumbent, especially the BJP.
In his comments, he gave clear indications of his view.
"The Maratha community understands very well whom to defeat. They understood it during the Lok Sabha polls, and they have understood it now. There is no confusion," he said.
"Those who have been against reservation, Marathas will defeat them 100 per cent. They will not be spared," he said, accusing the state government of denying the community quota.
The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance had suffered a big defeat in the state during the Lok Sabha polls, as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP(SP) won 30 of its 48 seats against the ruling bloc's 17.
Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch to voters to re-elect the ruling alliance for development in Maharashtra, he said sarcastically that every section of society is so happy that Modi should dub the ruling dispensation as not double-engine but "triple-engine government".
After all every field is irrigated and no farmer has debt, he said wryly.
Farmers need better rates for their crops and want to be free of debt but this government denies them their due, he alleged.
"Marathas want reservation for a better future for their children, Dhangars want reservation, there are micro-OBC communities who also want reservations for a better future for their children. Everyone is angry. Situation is very bad. People will teach them a lesson and inflict a drubbing in the polls," he said.
Be it Muslims, Dalits or traders, the government has harmed everyone's interests, he said.
Amid the view that the BJP is working to rally the support of OBCs to negate the impact of any likely Maratha consolidation, Patil made it clear that his primary objective is to get reservation for Marathas, stressing that they had received quota benefits almost 150 years back but were later not included in the OBC segment.
Asked if his stir has divided society and can result in a counter-polarisation of OBCs, he said there will be no such impact.
He said Marathas and OBCs are living together in villages and there is no disharmony. "There is no chance of it either in the future. The OBCs understand that the poor and backward Marathas should get reservation. There are a handful of people who spread such misgiving. They will be taught a lesson in these elections."
Having brought the issue of Maratha quota to the fore, he said he will launch a "collective fast unto death" to push for its implementation after a new government comes in. He claimed it will be the biggest collective fast the country has ever seen.
He asserted that no alliance can come to power without support from Marathas, who form around 28 per cent of the state's population.
Patil also accused BJP leader and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of harming the interests of Marathas, claiming he is running the affairs of the government and not Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
"In the government, everything is in the hands of Fadnavis and not others. He takes decisions. He is the one who formed the government by breaking parties and getting necessary numbers," he said.
Asked about Modi's appeal for the return of 'Mahayuti' government, Patil used sarcasm to make points about farmers allegedly not getting adequate price for their produce.
He said wryly, "Cotton is being bought at Rs 15,000 a quintal, wheat is being sold at Rs 26,000 a quintal, Soybean is getting Rs 36,000, onions are also getting a good rate. The farmers are very happy. Every field is irrigated, so much so that water is flowing across every bund."
He continued, "All farmers are moving around wearing ironed clothes and sunglasses. Nobody will blame him (Modi), he is a very noble man."
Asked why he withdrew his decision to field candidates in the polls, he said he wanted to focus on reservation for Marathas and not politics, and rejected the allegation that he did so due to the MVA's influence to rule out a split in the community's votes.
"What is big deal? We are social activists, new to politics. We could not get equations right. We did not have the experience. I decided to keep away from politics to ensure there is no division in the community for my political benefit. I took the right decision at the right time. Reservation is important and not politics," he said.
Asked about his views on Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar and Shinde, he said no one helped Marathas on the issue of reservation.
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South Korea's impeached president defies warrant in hourslong standoff
Seoul (AP): South Korean investigators spent hours waiting outside the official residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as the presidential security service blocked them from executing a warrant to detain him, in the latest confrontation of a political crisis that has paralysed South Korean politics and seen two heads of state impeached in under a month.
Yoon, a former prosecutor, has defied investigators' attempts to question him for weeks. The last time he is known to have left the residence was on Dec 12, when he went to the nearby presidential office to make a televised statement to the nation, making a defiant statement that he will fight efforts to oust him.
Investigators from the country's anti-corruption agency are weighing charges of rebellion after Yoon, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by an opposition-dominated parliament, declared martial law on Dec. 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.
Parliament overturned the declaration within hours in an unanimous vote and impeached Yoon on Dec 14, accusing him of rebellion, while South Korean anti-corruption authorities and public prosecutors opened separate investigations into the events.
A Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon's detention on Tuesday, but enforcing it is complicated as long as he remains in his official residence.
Yoon's lawyers, who filed a challenge to the warrant on Thursday, say it cannot be enforced at his residence due to a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge. The warrant is valid for one week.
They've also argued that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military investigators, lacks the authority to investigate rebellion charges. They said that police officers don't have the legal authority to assist in detaining Yoon, and could face arrest by either the “presidential security service or any citizens.” They didn't elaborate further on the claim.
If investigators manage to detain Yoon, they will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours.
Thousands of police officers gathered at Yoon's residence on Friday, forming a perimeter around a growing group of pro-Yoon protesters who braved subfreezing temperatures for hours, waving South Korean and American flags while chanting slogans in his support. There were no immediate reports of major clashes outside the residence.
Nearly five hours after dozens of investigators and police officers were seen entering the gate of the residence in Seoul to execute a warrant for Yoon's detention, the dramatic scene appeared to have developed into a standoff. Two of Yoon's lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun and Kim Hong-il, were seen entering the gate of the presidential residence around noon.
Seok Dong-hyeon, one of several lawyers on Yoon's legal team, confirmed that the investigators arrived at the building but said it was unlikely that they would be able to detain the president on Friday. He said the agency's efforts to detain Yoon were “reckless” and showed an “outrageous discard for law.”
The anti-corruption agency didn't immediately reply to questions about whether investigators successfully entered Yoon's residential building, but South Korea's YTN television reported scuffles as investigators and police confronted the presidential security forces.
South Korea's Defence Ministry confirmed that the investigators and police officers got past a military unit guarding the residence's grounds before arriving at the building. The presidential security service, which controls the residence itself, refused to comment on whether its members were confronting investigators and whether they planned to block the detention attempt.
The liberal opposition Democratic Party called on the country's acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, to order the presidential security service to stand down. Choi didn't immediately comment on the situation.
“Do not drag the upright staff of the presidential security service and other public officials into the depths of crime,” said Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker. Choi must “remember that swiftly addressing the rebellion and preventing further chaos is your responsibility,” Jo said.
Yoon's defence minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the period of martial law.
Yoon's presidential powers have been suspended since the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14. Yoon's fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him. At least six justices on the nine-member Constitutional Court must vote in favor to remove him from office.
The National Assembly voted last week to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became acting president after Yoon's powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court's review of Yoon's case.
Facing growing pressure, the new acting president, Choi, appointed two new justices on Tuesday, which could increase the chances of the court upholding Yoon's impeachment.
