Mumbai/Jalna, Sep 4: The ongoing political tussle over reservations in Maharashtra escalated sharply on Friday as senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal issued a fierce warning to his own MahaYuti government against encroaching upon Other Backward Classes (OBC) quotas.

His fiery outburst drew an immediate, sharp retaliation from Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, further deepening the rift within the ruling MahaYuti coalition government.

Addressing a press conference, Minister Bhujbal fired a direct broadside at state Ministers and legislators visiting Jarange Patil’s hunger strike site in Antarwali Sarati, accusing the state government of demonstrating excessive eagerness to appease the activist’s demands.

Minister Bhujbal raised serious concerns over alleged document tampering to claim Kunbi-Maratha status and cautioned against overriding statutory procedures.

“The Caste Scrutiny Committee is a vital body, and no one should exert pressure on it,” he asserted, questioning lawmakers who promised to “correct” rejected caste certificates.

“Four Corporators in Mumbai lost their seats because their caste validity certificates were cancelled. Are you going to ‘correct’ those as well?”

Highlighting economic imbalances, Minister Bhujbal revealed he walked out of a Cabinet sub-committee meeting in protest after Rs 750 crore was allocated to the Maratha-focused Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation, compared to a mere Rs 5 crore granted to OBC welfare committees.

He demanded that if a dedicated Maratha-Kunbi Ministry is created, separate Ministries must be established for every community in the state.

Minister Bhujbal urged the state government to immediately clarify how a single candidate could simultaneously seek benefits under three distinct categories — OBC, Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

Taking aim at the Maratha Reservation Cabinet Sub-Committee led by Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the Minister questioned its authority to unilaterally issue local directives and Government Resolutions (GRs), warning that he will take to the streets if OBC interests continue to be sidelined.

Responding swiftly from his protest site in Antarwali Sarati, Manoj Jarange Patil launched a scathing personal attack on the veteran NCP leader Bhujbal, accusing him of exploiting the OBC community for political leverage.

“At this age, he (Chhagan Bhujbal) should look after his own politics and figure out how to make his nephew an MP,” Jarange Patil charged.

“He (Chhagan Bhujbal) consumed everything in the name of OBCs—the OBC Development Corporation was cleared out, and even Maharashtra Sadan wasn’t spared. The OBC community has now recognised his true nature as his decline has begun.”

Dismissing Minister Bhujbal’s demographic claims, Jarange Patil said, “Who told Bhujbal that the OBC population is 60 per cent? The massive Maratha community has only been granted a 10 per cent quota.”

The Maratha activist added, “People are watching how he (Chhagan Bhujbal) opportunistically switches sides—sometimes joining the Maha Vikas Aghadi, sometimes the MahaYuti, and sometimes aligning with Ajit Pawar.”

Jarange Patil reaffirmed that while the state government delegates have accepted key demands—including issuing Kunbi caste certificates to those with historical records—he will not end his fast until official implementation takes effect on the ground.

Rome, Sep 4: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his wishes on her government becoming the longest-serving in the history of the Italian Republic and said that the ties between the two nations are right now stronger than ever before.

The Italian PM expressed confidence that India and Italy will continue to strengthen the bond between the two continents and work together to develop the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

Meloni’s response came after PM Modi congratulated her on becoming the longest-serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history.

“Thank you, dear Narendra Modi, for your words and for your friendship. The relationship between Italy and India is today stronger than ever. The Special Strategic Partnership that we launched during our last meeting is the recognition of the importance of this bond and of the will to unite the expertise of our Nations to create new opportunities for growth, seizing the extraordinary opportunities for collaboration that we have before us,” Meloni posted on X while replying to PM Modi.

“I am certain that Italy and India, together, will continue to strengthen the bond between our Continents as well, working side by side also to develop the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor,” she added.

Earlier in the day, while extending wishes to Meloni, PM Modi said that the milestone reflected the trust and confidence of people of Italy in her leadership and wished her continued success in the years ahead.

PM Modi appreciated Meloni’s efforts in strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership between the two nations. He expressed readiness to continue close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of the two nations.

“Congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Meloni on becoming the longest continuously serving Prime Minister in Italy’s postwar history. This milestone is a reflection of the trust and confidence of the Italian people in her leadership,” PM Modi posted on X.

“Her friendship has also been instrumental in strengthening the India-Italy Special Strategic Partnership and I look forward to continuing our close cooperation to build a prosperous future for the people of our countries. My best wishes for her continued success in the years ahead,” he added.

Notably, Meloni-led government became the longest-serving government in the postwar history of the Italian Republic, after surpassing the tenure of former PM Silvio Berlusconi.

Meloni assumed office as Italy’s first woman Prime Minister on October 22, 2022, and her government on Friday completed 1,413 days in office.

Earlier in July, Meloni had congratulated PM Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected PM and expressed readiness to work with him in creating new opportunities for the people of the two nations.

In May, PM Modi made a two-day official visit to Italy, where he held talks with both Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.

During their meeting, PM Modi and Meloni decided to elevate bilateral ties to the level of a Special Strategic Partnership. The two leaders welcomed the “strong momentum” of high-level exchanges and agreed to hold annual meetings of leaders, including on the sidelines of multilateral events, as well as regular ministerial and institutional-level meetings.

Mumbai, Sep 4: The political crossfire surrounding the probe into former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s fatal plane crash intensified on Friday, as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar launched a sharp attack on the ruling MahaYuti government and targeted the 40 MLAs belonging to the rival NCP faction.

Questioning the political leverage and intent of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction within the MahaYuti coalition government, Rohit Pawar criticised their inability to secure a formal investigation despite writing to their own administration.

“40 MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s party (NCP) had demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the crash, and they even had to send a reminder letter for it. It is unfortunate that even after sending a reminder to your own government, it gets thrown into the dustbin,” the NCP-SP MLA said while addressing the media.

“If these people had any self-respect, they would have walked out of power immediately. Not everyone possesses self-respect; you have to struggle to maintain it, and that is precisely what we are doing.”

The fresh barrage comes a day after current Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Sunetra Pawar responded to concerns raised by NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule over the non-registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR).

Sunetra Pawar had cautioned against politicising the tragedy, saying that the Pawar family and the NCP-SP maintained “full faith in the investigating agencies”.

Sule had earlier mounted a scathing attack on the state government over official apathy, contrasting the swift law-and-order actions taken against political leaders like Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena Chief Amit Thackeray, with the lack of progress in registering an FIR for her late brother’s fatal crash.

Reiterating his family and personal ties to the late NCP leader Ajit Pawar, Rohit Pawar emphasised that his demand for a rigorous inquiry was rooted in both family duty and public interest.

NCP-SP MLA Rohit Pawar said, “I am a member of the Pawar family. My surname is Pawar, and the person who passed away was my uncle. As a nephew, it is my effort to see that justice is served to him.

“When a major leader of the state dies under such circumstances, millions of people across Maharashtra, including myself, want a proper investigation. Unfortunately, those in the (MahaYuti) government who called (Ajit Pawar) ‘Dada’ their friend have still failed to deliver justice.”

He also accused the state administration of ignoring their repeated efforts to register a case locally.

“We visited three different places in the state to file an FIR regarding the accident, but no attention was paid to us,” he alleged, warning that “if an FIR in this matter ends up being registered in Karnataka instead, the state (Maharashtra) government should feel ashamed”.

While Rohit Pawar said that he postponed a scheduled press conference where he intended to present new evidence due to additional incoming details, his remarks underscore a growing verbal feud between the rival factions of the Pawar family and the MahaYuti coalition government.

With opposition leaders pledging to take the fight forward independently, the political manoeuvering over the investigation shows no signs of abating.