Maratha quota stir: Fadnavis to chair meeting with party leaders, Marathas angry over delay

Last Wednesday, along with Mumbai, whole Maharashtra was seen paralysed when the Maratha Kranti Morcha called for a bandh, demanding reservations in government jobs and education sector. In order to settle the issue, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will chair a meeting of party leaders in Mumbai on Thursday.

On Wednesday too, the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) did a sit-in protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai to show their anger towards the negligence of the state government in implementing the reservation quota for Marathas. The MKM had also called for a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’. Unlike last time, this protest was peaceful. Altogether six people have committed suicide in the state till now, last one being reported from Vida village in Beed district, where a 35-year-old Abhijeet Deshmukh was found hanging by a tree near his house.

Speaking with the Indian Express, president of the state unit of Sambhaji Brigade, Manoj Akhare said, “The Maratha agitation will stop only when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announces a deadline for convening the special session of the state legislature. The CM has made no such promise.”

Asked on what should be done to stop the agitation, Akhare stated that they seek the CM to come clean on his intentions of giving the reservation to Marathas. He added that the State government’s decision to implement the reservation after Backward Classes Commission report, would delay it for three months. The leader sought speedy decisions and implementations of the promises made to them.

However, Akhare said that the agitation would continue until Marathas get reservation. He was of the opinion that youth are very angry and even Sharad Pawar would not be able to pacify them. Blaming the Devendra Fadnavis for failing to fulfill the promises, Akhare stated that enough time has been given to the government but it did pay any heed to it.