OBC activist Laxman Hake on Wednesday (January 8, 2024) criticized Maratha quota campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil and BJP member Suresh Dhas for allegedly downplaying the seriousness of the killing of Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village -Beed in Maharashtra. Deshmukh was allegedly kidnapped and tortured to death on December 9, 2024, for allegedly defrauding an energy company related to a wind mill project. So far seven suspects have been arrested.
The incident has received a caste-related undertone as Deshmukh hails from the Maratha community, while most of the accused belong to the Vanjari community, a powerful OBC group in Beed.
The case has intensified political tensions as leaders of the ruling parties and opposition parties, including Mr. Dhas, demanding the resignation of the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Minister of State Dhananjay Munde, the leader of Vanjari. These leaders suspect that Mr. Munde’s assistant, Valmik Karad, is involved in this case.
Addressing a condolence meeting in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district (formerly Aurangabad), Mr. Do you blame Mr. Jarange and Mr. Dhas for politicizing this incident. “Manoj Jarange-Patil and Suresh Dhas underestimated the seriousness of Santosh Deshmukh’s murder. Where was Mr. Dhas when police personnel were beaten up in Antarwali Sarati during the Jarange-Patil quota agitation?” he said.
Mr. Hake went on to say that Mr. Dhas’s situation has changed after the Maharashtra Assembly elections. “Mr. Das worked against the success of Mr. Munde, but now he is trying to block his appointment as Beed Minister of Care,” he said.
Criticizing the growing race-based rhetoric about the case, Mr. Hake said, “We have never been involved in politics with such incidents or more support based on caste-based divisions only. But now, the poison is spreading in a certain community. ”
He added that although Mr. Karad was seen with many NCP leaders, there was an unfair focus on Mr. Munde. Mr. Hake called for justice for the victim, but warned that the situation is causing fear among members of the OBC community.
Turning his attention to Mr. Jarange-Patil, Mr. Hake dismissed him as a “leader who made a mistake” who does not understand the issue of reservations. “Earlier it was targeting Muslims and Dalits. Now, the OBC community is under attack,” he said.
The OBC activist also criticized NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for not visiting the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, who died in court custody in Parbhani district. Suryavanshi was arrested following the uproar over the desecration of the Constitution glass statue last month.
Published – January 09, 2025 04:35 am IST