Maratha activist Manoj Jarange working on Sharad Pawar's directions, says Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder Prakash Ambedkar

AKOLA/AMARAVATI: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder Prakash Ambedkar, who is conducting Aarakshan Bachao Yatra to safeguard OBC reservation, on Monday targeted Maratha activist Manoj Jarange, accusing him of working on directions of NCP founder Sharad Pawar.
"If Jarange does not contest the assembly elections, it will prove that he is aligned with Pawar," said Ambedkar while addressing the yatra at Murtizapur in Akola district on Monday.
The former Lok Sabha member also took potshots at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray while questioning his stance on the reservation issue. "OBC reservation is being made a scapegoat in the tussle for Maratha reservation," he said while claiming there would have been unrest in the state had his yatra not been launched.
In Amravati, Ambedkar said chief minister Eknath Shinde's 'strike rate' in Lok Sabha polls was double than that of Uddhav Thackeray. "Shiv Sainiks are considering Shinde's party as the real Shiv Sena," he said while addressing media.
Ambedkar said, "Rich Marathas in Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar) and Sena (UBT) have usurped power. Unfortunately, OBC quota is falling prey to this conflict."
He also stated that the govt will approve caste-wise census of OBCs after the assembly elections. "Until the data is available, OBC reservation will be postponed," he said.
(Inputs by Dhananjay Sable)