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THE SHIV Sena (UBT) and the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Maratha reservation issue could be resolved only if the Centre takes decisive steps like carrying out a Constitution amendment giving reservation to the Maratha community. “The ball is in the Centre’s court,” the two parties said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said while Maharashtra is burning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers are busy campaigning in Madhya Pradesh. “The Prime Minister has not spoken a word on Maratha reservation. He did the same in Manipur when the state was burning. Only when things went out of control, the Prime Minister was seen in action…Similarly, it is happening in Maharashtra. If the Prime Minister makes one call to quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, he might even withdraw his fast…. If anything happens to him, the Prime Minister should bear in mind, it might lead to large-scale violence in Maharashtra,” Raut said earlier.
Later in the evening, Patil called off his fast.
Stating that the Centre needed to act urgently on Maratha reservation before situation escalates, Raut said, “Prime Minister Modi and the Union Home Minister are busy in election campaigning. Maharashtra is burning, Maratha youths are ending their lives. Manoj Jarange-Patil is staking his life for Maratha reservation. The government should not waste any more time. It should take necessary steps to meet the demand of Maratha community.”
NCP MLA Rohit Pawar said the MLAs in the state at best can pass a resolution in the special session of state legislature, if it is convened, and send the resolution to the Centre. “’It is the Centre which has to take the matter forward. The Centre needs to bring a Constitution amendment to provide reservation to the Maratha community,” he said.
Pawar said they met the Assembly Speaker and urged him to hold a special session. ”The special session should be held for two-three days. The session should only be about Maratha reservation. The MLAs should be allowed to put forth their views on the reservation issue. After that a unanimous resolution should be passed for giving reservation to Maratha community. A copy of the resolution should be sent to the Centre. The Centre should be urged to take the matter in the larger interests of the state and the Maratha community,” he said.
Rohit Pawar criticised both Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “At a time when Maharashtra is burning, the Chief Minister is holding an event like ‘Government at your doorstep.’ The government calls people to attend its event, it does not go to their doorstep. Similarly, Fadnavis is going to other states for election campaigning. Both are sending out a wrong message that everything is normal in the state. Their actions have upset the people of the state. Instead of making efforts to find a solution to the reservation issue, they are doing something else,” he said.
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