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Maratha outfits begin silent protest for quota; Govt invites leaders for talks
Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati said similar protests will be held in Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati, Raigad in the next few days and a march from Pune to Mumbai in August if the demands are not met by then
A statewide agitation in favour of reservation for the Maratha community began with a silent march in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, on Wednesday. Politicians, ministers from state government, and elected representatives participated in the march led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati from Shahu Samathi Sthal, the resting place of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj in Kolhapur.
Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati said similar protests will be held in Nashik, Aurangabad, Amravati, Raigad in the next few days and a march from Pune to Mumbai in August if the demands are not met by then.
Calling it an apolitical platform, Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati also appealed to the protesters to remain silent while public representatives addressed them. He demanded immediate steps by the state government to restore the reservation and extend its benefits to the community. The state government, in turn, has invited the MP for a round of talks with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and senior Cabinet ministers on Thursday.
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Senior leaders who participated in the march include BJP state president Chandrakant Patil, minister of state for home and Kolhapur’s guardian minister Satej Patil, minister Hasan Mushrif, minister of state Rajesh Yadravkar, MPs Sanjay Mandalik, and Dhairyasheel Mane, and MLAs Prakash Awade, Chandrakant Jadhav, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar.
Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati has demanded a review as well as curative petitions in Supreme Court against the May 5 order to scrap Maratha quota; a petition to the Centre for reservation from the central list and constitution of a state backward class commission. He has also demanded that elected representatives from all parties push the quota demand in the coming monsoon session of the state assembly.
Minister Satej Patil said that the state government was positive about the demands and has already started taking steps towards their resolution. “The state government is ready to hold talks with the community leaders. I invite Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati for a meeting with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other senior ministers on Thursday. We are very positive over the steps that need to taken by the state government,” he said.
On May 5, the Supreme Court quashed 12% and 13% quota to Marathas in education and jobs respectively under Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act 2018. The state government is planning to file a review petition in the apex court as recommended by a committee of retired high court judge Dilip Bhosale constituted to study the ruling and recommend a way forward.
