Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai on Tuesday announced that the government will investigate claims of drone surveillance over activist Manoj Jarange's village.
The announcement came during an assembly session where the Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, raised concerns about Jarange's safety, suggesting potential threats to his life.
Enhanced Security Assurance Given By Minister Shambhuraj Desai
Desai assured that if necessary, Jarange's security, which had already been armed, would be further upgraded. Wadettiwar alleged that Jarange's Antarwali Sarati was under drone surveillance and the government must provide security to him.
Raising the issue in the assembly, Waddetiwar claimed that the activist's life may be in danger.
“Everyone has a right to protest, and if the village is under drone surveillance, it is not good. Villagers are scared,” the Congress leader claimed.
“Jarange had been provided armed security earlier. If needed, the security will be upgraded,” he said.
Villagers On Spotting A Drone Camera Flying Over The House Where Manoj Jarange Patil Is Residing
Meanwhile, villagers in Antarwali Sarati claimed to have seen a drone camera flying over the house of the village sarpanch, Kaushalyabai Tarakh, where Jarange is residing. According to villagers, this was the second spotting in less than a week. A video has surfaced on social media, which shows Jarange pointing at the drone.
Meanwhile, Jarange urged MLAs and MPs from his community to unite in the fight for reservation under the OBC category or face consequences in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
“Leaders of the Maratha community should attend these rallies in solidarity for Maratha reservation. They should demand the implementation of the draft notification of 'Sage Soyare' (blood relatives) and the old Hyderabad and Satara gazettes which have proved that Marathas are Kunbis,” he said.
