Satej Patil asks Hasan Mushrif to explain casteism charge, administrator on Gokul

A morcha was taken out in Kolhapur against the appointment of directors to Gokul. Addressing it, MLA Satej Patil put questions to Hasan Mushrif. Patil said he had not gone and sat near the doors of power, and that Mushrif should have thought four times before accusing him of casteism.

According to Patil, Mushrif was with him for 15 years and contested four elections, but the door could not be opened for him. Patil claimed that Mushrif got entry into Gokul because he was there. He said Mushrif kept saying four times that his son had lost, but did not say a word when candidates from the Maratha and Matang communities lost. Patil asked what would happen if he were to say this.

Patil said he had repeatedly pleaded that an administrator not be brought in on Gokul. According to him, Jayant Patil had asked the Chief Minister in the Assembly why an administrator was being brought in, and the Chief Minister had clearly said no law was being made for Gokul. Patil said that, unfortunately, an administrator was brought in all the same, and alleged that the law was made only to install an administrator on Gokul. He said he had been saying this for six months. He said they had to go to court against the law and tried to ensure that elections were held.

Patil said those sitting together in power were only saying there was an invisible force behind it. According to him, Mushrif did not have the courage to say who this force was. He said that although Mushrif left, he was not afraid, because he is a man who takes to the field.

Recalling the period of struggle, Patil said many people in the district stood shoulder to shoulder with him. On the other side were heavyweights, with three ministers each, MPs and MLAs camped in the district. He went among the people with Raju Shetti and stayed two days in every taluka. Patil said he was on antibiotics for 22 days and could not even climb to the first floor when he went to eat at a party worker's house. According to him, he was fighting for five and a half lakh farmers, while Mushrif was fighting to get his own children elected.

On the casteism charge, Patil said all 25 of his candidates were party workers, and none were his sons or relatives. He asked where casteism came in when trying to get workers elected. Patil said he sits at the feet of Shahu Maharaj and does not believe in casteism. According to him, Mushrif said nothing about the defeat of Sujit Minchekar of the Matang community and Bapu of the Maratha community. Patil said he would not say this.