Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s wife Amruta Fadnavis has invited Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil to her home for a meal, referring to him as her brother. She also supported Muslim participation in Navratri and Garba events amid an ongoing political dispute in Maharashtra over the issue.
Amruta Fadnavis made the remarks after an event in Nagpur on Wednesday night. She said Jarange Ji was her brother and that she wanted him to visit her home for a meal.
Manoj Jarange Patil has been on hunger strike for the past 13 days in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, demanding reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. His key demands during the agitation also include implementation of records from the Hyderabad and Satara gazettes and issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas.
Amruta Fadnavis’s statement comes amid ongoing discussions between the state government and the Maratha reservation movement over the demands and the way forward.
Amid Jarange’s agitation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had clarified the government’s position on Tuesday. He said the government would do whatever was possible within the framework of the Constitution and that it had never closed the doors to dialogue.
Devendra Fadnavis also made it clear that reservation from one community’s share would not be taken and given to another community. Discussions between the government and the protesters therefore remain central to the Maratha reservation demand.
The demand for reservation for the Maratha community under the OBC category has been a longstanding subject of political and social debate in Maharashtra. Amruta Fadnavis’s reference to Jarange as her brother has also drawn attention amid the ongoing hunger strike.
Amruta Fadnavis also commented on Muslim participation in Navratri and Garba events. On Wednesday, she said festivals are meant to bring everyone together and that she did not see anything wrong with a Muslim person participating in a function.
She described Navratri and Garba as a means of showcasing Hinduism to people and said such events could introduce the world to Hindu traditions and their characteristics.
Her remarks came as a political dispute continues in Maharashtra over Muslim participation in Garba and Dandiya events.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced last week that Muslims should not be allowed to enter Garba and Dandiya events organised during Navratri in Maharashtra.
The Navratri festival is scheduled to begin on October 11. Following the VHP’s position, political debate has intensified over Muslim participation in Garba events, identity verification and the nature of religious gatherings.
Guidelines from the VHP for organisers also included checking people’s identities, viewing Aadhaar cards and applying tilak to ensure Hindu identity.
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane supported the VHP’s position. In an interview with news agency PTI on Monday, he alleged that some Muslim youths enter Garba events by giving Hindu names or pretending to be Hindu.
According to Nitesh Rane, such individuals apply tilak on their foreheads and try to establish contact with Hindu girls. He described this as a threat of ‘love jihad’ and supported the demand to prevent Muslims from entering Garba events.
He also said that people who do not practise idol worship should not participate in Hindu religious events. Rane had further called for people to show identification before entering Garba grounds and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.
Opposition leaders have also responded to Amruta Fadnavis’s remarks. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut supported her statement and said Amruta Fadnavis should also explain her position to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and members of his cabinet who were making such statements.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also welcomed Amruta Fadnavis’s remarks. He said her approach of taking everyone along was correct, while questioning whether she would ask the Chief Minister to remove Nitesh Rane from the ministerial post if that was her view.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also questioned the VHP guidelines. He asked who had given such people the authority to issue certificates of Hindutva. Thackeray said that at events such as Garba, Navratri, Dahi Handi and Ganesh Utsav in Mumbai, people are Mumbaikars before considerations of religion or caste.
The VHP demanded that Muslims not be allowed to enter Garba and Dandiya events held during Navratri in Maharashtra. The organisation said it would issue guidelines to organisers concerning identity checks.
After reports of the VHP’s position emerged, the political dispute intensified. The organisation said Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the goddess and should not be viewed only as a dance event.
Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane supported the VHP’s position. He reiterated the demand for identity checks at Navratri events and made allegations of ‘love jihad’. He also called for people attending Garba to show identification and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.
The Maratha reservation agitation led by Manoj Jarange Patil continues in Maharashtra, while political statements over Muslim participation in Garba events have intensified ahead of Navratri.
Amruta Fadnavis’s two statements have drawn attention amid these developments. She referred to Manoj Jarange as her brother and invited him to her home for a meal, while also describing Garba and Navratri events as part of festivals that bring everyone together.
