Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday dropped a big hint about the Maratha quota amid activist Manoj Jarange’s strike.
Talking to the reporters in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pawar said that the Maharashtra government is positive about Maratha quota demands and is working to find a solution.
His statement came as Jarange started an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Mumbai during the day, seeking reservations for the Maratha community.
Here’s what Ajit Pawar said:
Ajit Pawar said that the state government has set up a committee under cabinet minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, which is already holding dialogue on the issue.
“Everybody has the right to stage a protest, provided it is done peacefully. The Mahayuti government is working to find a solution to the demands, and we are confident a solution will emerge,” he said.
Pawar said the court gave Jarange one day’s permission despite his objection. “If the court says something, everyone needs to follow it in letter and spirit,” he added.
The deputy CM said that the state government is positive and will find a way. “We are working hard to arrive at a solution through dialogue,” he said.
Pawar also clarified that all communities in the state should get justice while clarifying OBC leader Laxman Hake’s allegations that some NCP MLAs are supporting Jarange’s agitation.
“I have seen in the news that colleagues from various parties have also extended support. Everyone has a right to express their views and opinions,” he said.
Ajit Pawar added that he did not give much importance to Hake’s statements because it is like ‘vinash kale viprit buddhi’ (when one’s doom approaches, their intellect turns against them).
Manoj Jarange, who has been on hunger strike since Friday, has been demanding a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Class category.
He wants Marathas to be recognised as Kunbis, an agrarian caste included in the OBC category, which will make them eligible for reservation, though OBC leaders are opposed to it.
Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has already endorsed Jarange’s agitation.
“From every corner of Maharashtra, our Marathi brethren have gathered in Mumbai, numbering in the thousands. Braving rain, water, and mud, they are struggling for their just demands,” Thackeray said.
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