Chhagan Bhujbal faces opposition from Maratha community during tour of rain-hit villages in Nashik

Chhagan Bhujbal. File Pic

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal faced opposition from members of the Maratha community on Thursday as they raised slogans against him and showed black flags during his tour of villages hit by unseasonal rains in Nashik district over his stand on the Maratha reservation issue.

Although Bhujbal met farmers at a few villages in the district, he had to cut short his visit to some other villages due to the stiff opposition by the Maratha community.

Bhujbal has been opposing the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government's plan to include Marathas in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community to give the benefit of reservation to them. The minister has repeatedly targeted Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, triggering a war of words between the two. Bhujbal's views have angered the Maratha community.

Bhujbal, an OBC leader belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has said that he was not against reservation for the Maratha community, but that it should not be given at the cost of other communities.

Ahead of the tour by the Food and Civil Supplies Minister to the villages in his assembly constituency Yeola in Nashik district on Thursday, a man from Somthandesh village called and urged him not to visit the place as he would face opposition by the local Marathas. A video clip of the man's phone call went viral on social media.

Nonetheless, Bhujbal visited the village, where the Maratha community members opposed him. They later sprinkled 'gomutra' (cow urine) on the road used by Bhujbal, saying it was aimed at "purifying" the place.

People from the Maratha community also gathered at the Vinchur Chaufuli intersection in Yeola town and shouted slogans against the minister. They raised 'Bhujbal Go Back' and 'Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha' slogans. Due to this, Bhujbal was forced to change his route, sources said.

The Maratha agitators showed black flags to him close to the Kotamgaon railway bridge near Lasalgaon in Niphad taluka of the district and shouted slogans.

To avoid any untoward incident, Nashik Rural police maintained strict vigil during Bhujbal's tour, an official said.

Bhujbal then went to Vanasgaon and other areas to inspect the crop losses caused by the unseasonal rains. But there also, the Maratha agitators showed black flags to his convoy. As a result, he had to cut short his tour and return to Nashik, the sources added.

During the tour, the minister managed to visit Katarani village in Yeola taluka and Pimpalgaon Najik and Velapur villages in Niphad taluka, they said.

Speaking during the visit, Bhujbal assured that he would make efforts at the government level to get special funds approved for the farmers.

"This is not the time to do politics but to wipe the tears of farmers. Those who want to do politics continue to do it. Some of those who opposed me today were not even residents of those villages," Bhujbal told reporters.

"Their opposition is political and people of the constituency are with us. Therefore, giving support to farmers is important at present and no one should bring politics in it," he added.

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