Mumbai: A consensus was reached at an all-party meet held here Wednesday on ensuring reservation for the Marathas without upsetting the quota granted to other communities. Representatives of all major political parties in the state have asked the government to consider the demand by activist Manoj Jarange Patil to grant Marathas reservation as Kunbis, who are entitled to reservation under the state’s OBC quota.
Those present at the meeting passed a resolution expressing concerns over instances of violence in parts of the state involving pro-Maratha protesters, besides requesting Patil to call off his indefinite fast.
Even as the meeting was underway, MLAs part of the ruling coalition as well as the Opposition staged a protest on the stairs of the Mantralaya (state secretariat) reiterating the demand for a quota for Marathas. Though the protesting legislators were later detained, MLAs from opposition parties met Speaker Rahul Narwekar and Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe later in the day to demand a special session.
“At the all-party meeting, everyone agreed that the Marathas should get reservation. It was decided the reservation should be within the framework of the law and without doing injustice to other communities,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters later in the day.
He added that all stakeholders were in agreement that the government will need time to explore the options available to it in this regard.
On violence in parts of the state, Shinde said: “Everyone expressed displeasure at the unfortunate incidents. There is a need to give time, and the Maratha community should be patient. Manoj Jarange Patil should cooperate with the government to ensure a quota for the Marathas.”
However, no decision was made on the Opposition’s demand for a special session of the state legislative assembly to discuss the issue. “The government is responsible for the current condition of the state. They say they want to give reservation to the Maratha community but don’t want to hold any special session,” Leader of the Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress told mediapersons after the all-party meeting.
Meanwhile, Jarange — who has been on an indefinite fast at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna since 25 October — said he will not withdraw his agitation unless the government specifies a timeline for granting reservation to the Maratha community.
“Just tell us when you (government) will give us the reservation. Don’t give us only documents. The government wants us to give it time but what if we give it time, when will it give us reservation,” he asked Wednesday.
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Maharashtra govt’s two-pronged strategy
Apart from state ministers, the all-party meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, LoP in the Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar and LoP in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve. Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Nana Patole, among others, were also in attendance.
The government has proposed a two-pronged strategy: issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from Marathwada, and ensuring that the state government is able to present a strong case for a quota for Marathas in the Supreme Court. The state government had in October submitted a curative petition in the apex court in this regard.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters that the state government is making an “honest effort” to ensure that Marathas get reservation.
“The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission is working on war footing. Reservation given by the government when Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister was upheld by the Bombay High Court but struck down by the Supreme Court on the grounds of some errors. We want to avoid a repeat of that situation,” he said.
Sources in the Opposition told ThePrint that it was also suggested at the all-party meet that the state government seek the Centre’s assistance in granting reservation to the Maratha community.
But a senior state Congress leader added that the government was “not keen on the same as it could create law and order issues, since protesters could gather in Mumbai”.
Another state Congress leader who did not want to be named suggested that the government should have called an all-party meeting earlier. “The government is in a bind. We said why didn’t you call this meeting earlier? A solution could have been found before the situation got out of hand. Violence is now escalating and the government should come out with a definite time frame on this quota issue,” the leader said.
He added that the state government “should make it clear whether it has any time frame in mind or whether it can give (Marathas) reservation at all”.
“I think the government should talk to the Centre to raise the 50 percent cap (on reservation) and take the initiative regarding this,” Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) told ThePrint.
A senior opposition leader who attended the all-party meeting, added, “The approach of the government is zero in this regard. This is not a state government matter, the Centre should intervene. The violence being reported from across the state shows that the government is incapable of maintaining law and order.”
There was, however, consensus at the all-party meeting on the need for collection of empirical data to move the ball further on this issue. “The government and the AG (Advocate General) were of the opinion that we first need to collect concrete empirical data to make sure that we can prove the backwardness of the community (Marathas) and only then can we strengthen our case,” Janata Dal (United) MLC Kapil Patil told ThePrint.
Patil said he suggested that the government alleviate the concerns of the OBC community by way of dialogue.
Violence continues across Maharashtra
NCP MP Supriya Sule reiterated her demand for the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, amid continuing violence involving protesters demanding a quota for the Maratha community.
While the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) suspended bus services in at least five districts in Marathwada, authorities issued orders for curfew and internet shutdowns in parts of Beed and Jalna.
Earlier in the day, police detained two protesters for vandalising the vehicle of NCP leader Hasan Mushrif, who is the minister for medical education in the Eknath Shinde-led government.
In a press conference he held Wednesday, Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Seth said a total of 141 cases have been lodged across the state in connection with instances of violence and that the violence has led to a loss of public and private property worth Rs 12 crore.
“Violence is being reported from across the state. Protests are going out of hand. We will make sure strict action is taken against these accused,” he said.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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