09:25
Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has called Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil her brother and invited him for a meal at her home.
Jarange has been agitating at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district for 13 days to demand reservation for the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. He has also been seeking implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records and issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community.
Asked about the activist and his protest, Amruta Fadnavis said, "Jarange Patil ji is my brother and I invite him to come for a meal at our home."
She was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Nagpur on Wednesday night.
Amid Jarange's protest for Maratha quota, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the government would grant whatever is permissible under the Constitution but would not take from one community's share to give another.
"We will do everything that is possible. We have never closed the doors for dialogue. A government finds a solution through discussions, and the entire process is moving forward in that spirit," he had said.
Amruta Fadnavis on Wednesday also said festivals are inclusive and there is nothing wrong if a Muslim person attends the celebrations.
Her comments came after state minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane backed VHP's call to bar Muslims from Navratri events.
Navratri and garba were very good ways to give people a glimpse of Hindu religion, she said, and called for introducing the world to its uniqueness. -- PTI
