Members of the groups, who have as the 'Sakal Maratha Samaj (SMS)' however denied plans to disrupt the wari or pose any threat to law and order.
Maratha protestors who had threatened to block Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' visit to Pandharpur on Monday for the Ashadi Ekadashi puja said they were incensed at unfulfilled promises made by the state government. Members of the groups, who have as the 'Sakal Maratha Samaj (SMS)' however denied plans to disrupt the wari or pose any threat to law and order.
"The state government announced scholarships for 107 communities in the open category wherein 50 per cent of the tuition fees would be waived off for 605 courses. However, this has not been implemented," charged Mauli Pawar of SMS, Pandharpur. Apart from Marathas, economically weaker students from communities not covered by quotas like Brahmins, Lingayat sub-sects and Muslims were to benefit under this scheme.
Pawar added that while the Annasaheb Patil Arthik Magas Vikas Mahanandal was to distribute Rs 2,000 crore to Maratha youth for entrepreneurship, just three of the over 1,000 applicants in Solapur had been given these interest-free loans. He demanded till the time the High Court decided on the Maratha quotas, the state shelve its recruitment for 72,000 jobs.
"While schemes are declared, they are not implemented," charged Ravi Mohite of the SMS, adding their "ban" on Fadnavis was in protest. He, however, denied plans to create any untoward situation.
"We respect all warkaris coming to Pandharpur. Our families too have a tradition of the wari. Our fight is with the government," said Mohite.
A Maratha leader, who played a pivotal role in the initial protests by the community, which saw 58 silent morchas in and outside Maharashtra to press for their demands like reservations, observed that any leaderless agitations were dangerous.
"There is a lot of unrest among Marathas. However agitations make little sense when the case is in court and hinges on proving our social backwardness," he explained. The state backward classes commission, which has received over 4 lakh memorandums, is also examining the issue.
"The protests at Pandharpur and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' decision to stay away from the puja has sent a wrong message to the warkari sect and the society," noted another Maratha activist from Kolhapur. He added that while the previous morchas had set a template about peaceful protests, the new round of aggressive protests led by "activists created by social media," was dangerous.
Warkari sect leader Bandatatya Karhadkar, who has enforced similar curbs on then deputy chief ministers Ajit Pawar and late R.R Patil in the past called the episode unfortunate. "It is only warkaris who can call for such boycotts as they are the worshippers of Lord Panduranga," he added.
Nanasaheb Jawale of the Akhil Bharatiya Chhava Maratha Yuvak Sanghatana said they would not protest in Pandharpur for the welfare of warkaris as some "anti-social elements were trying to spoil the situation" taking its advantage.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said Fadnavis was forced to cancel his puja as the government had not honoured its word over Marathas and Dhangar reservations.
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