Sharad Pawar rubbing salt on wounds of Maratha community: Shinde-led Shiv Sena

“Earlier reservation was demanded from the then prime minister V P Singh. However, only because of Sharad Pawar’s refusal did the Maratha reservation get stuck in red tape. Now that they are no longer in power and the party is on the decline, Pawar is in a state of despair,” Bhor said.

Bhor also said Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar is opposed to the Maratha reservation and said Wadettiwar had once called the Gaikwad report (A report by a nine-member Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission headed by Justice M G Gaikwad) bogus. “Today, they pretend to stand behind the Maratha community.”

Bhor said the Opposition has a history of insulting the Maratha community. “Earlier, in Uddhav Thackeray’s mouthpiece, Saamana, Uddhavji and Ambadas Danve called Muk Morcha as ‘Mukaa (Kiss) Morcha’… Danve kicked activists who were calling for the Maratha reservation. Not just that, when Ashok Chavan (of the Congress) was the chief minister, he lathi-charged those demanding reservations.

“Sharad Pawar did not utter a single word on this. The Maratha reservation issue was ignored when Uddhav was the chief minister,” he added.

Bhor said that courtesy of the efforts of Chief Minister Shinde, several problems of Maratha society have been solved forever, be it the issue of recruitment of Maratha candidates for Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) or others.

“Shinde has always been supportive of the Maratha reservation. Being a Maratha himself, he naturally has affection for the community. The Maratha community also has positive feelings about him. Our CM has taken charge of victims’ medicine and treatment expenses.”