Maharashtra govt committed to giving quota to Maratha community, decision taken must be foolproof: CM Shinde

CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday said his government is committed to giving reservations to the Maratha community by proving its social and educational backwardness, reported the PTI.

CM Shinde was speaking to reporters at Pune's Bhimashankar Temple, one of the 12 'jyotirlingas' in the country, as per the PTI.

"It is our clear stand to give reservations to the Maratha community. When Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister (between 2014 and 2019), we had given reservations to the Maratha community but it was set aside by the Supreme Court," CM Eknath Shinde said.

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"It is our priority to prove that the Maratha community is backward on social and educational grounds. We are giving first preference to it and dedicated committees are working on it. Time should be given to the government," the chief minister said.

CM Shinde said he had assured Manoj Jharange Patil, who has been on hunger strike in Jalna district for the past several days, that the Maharashtra government was fully with the Maratha community.

"We do not want to cheat anyone by taking any (weak) decision. A decision which we take must stand the legal test. The government's stand is that reservations given to the Maratha community must be foolproof," he said.

Asserting that reservations must be given to the Maratha community without affecting such facilities of other groups, Shinde asked opposition parties to cooperate with his government.

Meanwhile, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, fasting for days, has stopped taking intravenous (IV) fluids and liquid, intensifying his agitation as he on Monday appealed to all political parties in Maharashtra to stand with the community on the reservation issue, according to the PTI.

Manoj Jarange, aged around 40, is on an indefinite hunger strike since August 29 at Antarwali Sarati village in adjoining Jalna district in central Maharashtra demanding reservation in government jobs and education under the OBC category for the Maratha community.

The quota activist has stopped intake of IV fluids and liquid since Sunday evening, a health official told PTI.

"Our team of doctors went to see Jarange yesterday (Sunday evening). But he refused to get himself checked. He has stopped taking IV fluids and liquid intake," Jalna civil surgeon Pratap Ghodke said, as per the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)