Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday reached the national capital to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thackeray led a delegation which had deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Congress leader Ashok Chavan.
In the meeting, the Maharashtra leaders discussed range of state issues with PM Modi, including Maratha and OBC reservation, GST compensation, caste-based census and classical language status for Marathi.
Addressing the media at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi after the meeting, Thackeray said, "It was a cordial discussion between us, keeping the politics aside. We discussed various issues with the Prime Minister. He has assured us to look into them. We discussed the transfer of the Kanjur Marg plot for Metro car shed."
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"We requested the PM to intervene to remove the 50 per cent cap on the reservation. We requested the PM to press for it in the court. The 50 per cent cap is affecting various reservations including OBC reservation in elections," Public Works Department minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said outside Maharashtra Sadan.
"Centre has been empowered to decide on the reservation to backward classed. We expect Centre to take a call on it," Chavan added.
{{/usCountry}}"Centre has been empowered to decide on the reservation to backward classed. We expect Centre to take a call on it," Chavan added.
{{/usCountry}}Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, also a part of the delegation that met PM Modi said that they have requested PM Modi to give the constitutional reservation to OBCs in politics.
The Maharashtra government ministers also requested for the release of GST compensation dues of ₹24,306 crore, Pawar said.
"We also requested to PM to instruct the Maharashtra Governor for the nomination of 12 members to legislative council from Governor quota," Pawar said.
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Thackeray also said that the delegation requested PM Modi to change the NDRF norms for relief provided to people affected by natural calamity.
Thackeray landed at Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi on Tuesday morning and reached Lok Kalyan Marg - the prime minister's official residence.
Last month, Uddhav Thackeray wrote to PM Modi requesting him to take steps to declare the Maratha community in the state as Socially and Educationally Backward (SEBC) to enable them to claim the reservation in education and public employment at least to 12 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.