Disgruntled Maratha leaders behind recent violence, says minister Vinod Tawde

The state education minister dubbed it as an attempt to defame the agitation as well as bring trouble for the state government.

After Maratha outfits condemned the violence that occurred during the recently-held Maratha protest over reservation, the state education minister Vinod Tawde on Tuesday alleged that some disgruntled Maratha leaders, who had thought that their influence over community was in danger, were behind the violence during the agitation. He further said that the attempt was to defame the agitation as well as to bring trouble for the state government.

State education minister Vinod Tawde claimed that the violence was instigated by a few disgruntled Maratha leaders who found their influence on the wane. (Sunny Shend/ HT Photo)

“Considering the fact that the state government is giving reservation to the Maratha community and that too by completing all legal and constitutional procedures following peaceful agitations, few Maratha leaders thought that their influence over the community was in danger and thus orchestrated violence during the agitation held by the community members across the state,” Tawde said.

“By bringing in violence, the leaders tried to defame the agitation as well as create trouble for the state government,” he added.

The Maratha community has been demanding 16% reservation in government jobs and education. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured to complete all legal and constitutional procedures for the same by November but the community outfits have been insisting upon a written assurance. The state government has also stayed the mega recruitment drive for fulfilling 72,000 vacant posts in the government jobs until the Maratha reservation issue is sorted out.