Maratha marches linked to quota, not Kopardi case: Narayan Rane

Stating that no massive protest march was possible without the blessings of influential leaders, former chief minister and Congress leader Narayan Rane said on Thursday that the Maratha community's massive silent march should not be linked with Kopardi rape and murder incident.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress state unit headquarters at Gandhi Bhavan in Nariman Point, Rane said he would reveal at an appropriate time as to who "blessed" these marches.

NCP president Sharad Pawar had stated that state government should take serious note of these rallies. Making it clear that he did not agree with Pawar, who had linked these rallies with Kopardi rape and murder incident, Rane said the rallies were to press for reservation. He said these demonstrations were a clear indication of growing anger in the community against the BJP-Shiv Sena government.

Rane said the BJP and Sena had failed in pleading the case properly in the court, which resulted in taking away of the reservation benefits from the Maratha and Muslim communities. He added that the state government failed on all accounts – be it corruption or law and order – which is why it was trying to bring in strange laws in the name of internal security and to suppress agitations against the government.

Congress leader Narayan Rane ridiculed Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was doing the job of home minister. He advised Sena to restore law and order within the party. He said there was no point in complaining against inquiries of corruption in BMC, since this was the fallout of what Uddhav Thackeray sowed in the civic body in the last 20 years.