Nagpur: Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday appealed to protesters across the state to avoid holding agitations in Mumbai during Ganeshotsav, saying such demonstrations could create law-and-order concerns during the festival.The appeal came as Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange announced on Saturday that a march to Mumbai over Maratha demands would begin on Sept 15, followed by an indefinite protest at Azad Maidan from Sept 19.“Currently, holding an agitation in Mumbai is not appropriate from the state’s point of view,” Bawankule told reporters here.Referring to recent Bombay High Court proceedings, Bawankule urged protesters to exercise caution and avoid demonstrations during the Ganesh festival, which he described as one of the biggest festivals in Maharashtra and Mumbai. On Friday, HC declined to issue pre-emptive directions against Jarange’s proposed march, saying it could not pass such orders merely on apprehensions expressed by individuals.On Jarange’s agitation, Bawankule said the rights of neither the OBC nor the Maratha community could be denied. He said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde had consistently worked on the demands of Marathas and key decisions had been taken during their tenures.Bawankule said comments directed at the two leaders by Jarange and other activists were not acceptable to Maharashtra. He maintained that govt was working to provide justice to the Maratha community and appealed for time to address its demands.
