All-party meet in Mumbai today to discuss Maratha quota: Ajit Pawar
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Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday said an all-party meeting has been convened in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the issue of Maratha reservation.
"While giving the reservation to the Maratha community, it must be ensured that Other Backward Classes are not affected. Only discussions and meetings will solve this issue," Pawar, who received a rousing reception from party workers in Pune city on Sunday, said.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said it would attend the meeting in the interest of the Maratha community.
“We don’t want to play politics over the reservation issue. The meeting is in the interest and benefit of the Maratha community which has long been agitating for reservation. We are in support of the Maratha community,” Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut said.
The Maharashtra Congress said the all-party meeting on the issue should be convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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For the past 13 days, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil has been on a hunger strike, demanding Kunbi status, equivalent to OBC quota, for all Marathas.
He has refused to call off his hunger strike and stopped taking water and medicine.
The Shinde government after several rounds of negotiations between Jarange Patil and the government-appointed representatives last week issued a Government Resolution (GR).
It states that the government will provide Kunbi caste certificates to all Marathas from Marathwada who possess Nizam-era revenue records, educational records and other supporting records, and if “Kunbi” is mentioned in their genealogy.
However, Jarange Patil has rejected the state government resolution, saying he will not break his fast unto death until all Marathas be given Kunbi certificates by the Maharashtra government.
He has also sought action against police personnel responsible for the lathi-charge against protesters.
“We have made all efforts to end the hunger strike by the activist. Government representatives like Girish Mahajan, Arun Khotkar and others have met him, but he has refused to withdraw his fast. All our efforts to convince him have so far failed. On Monday, the chief minister will convene an all-party meeting on the reservation issue,” Pawar said on Saturday.
