Maharashtra: Opposition leaders demand special assembly session to resolve Maratha quota issue

Vijay Wadettiwar. File Pic

As the agitation for Maratha reservation turned violent, Maharashtra leader of opposition Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of making a wrong decision and giving a false assurance to the community, reported news agency PTI.

The stir for quota for the Maratha community turned violent on Monday after protestors targeted the properties of politicians, and incidents of arson and vandalism were reported in Beed, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv districts.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Vijay Wadettiwar said, "It is a fire started by the BJP, and the state has become unstable because of the wrong decision taken by the government and the false assurance it gave."

The political situation in the state has become quite serious, he said, reported PTI.

"We have requested the governor to call for a special session of the state assembly for three to five days to find a solution to this issue," the Congress leader said.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Anil Deshmukh, in a post on X, said that the Maratha reservation issue is becoming complicated by the day. The government had assured to find a solution in 30 days, but it didn't keep its word.

The government should take this issue seriously and take concrete steps, he said.

Deshmukh demanded that the state government call a one-day session of the assembly to find a solution to the issue.

Meanwhile, members of the Sakal Maratha Samaj went on a chain hunger strike in the Gandhi Gate area of Mahal in Nagpur in solidarity with the cause.

Earlier today, amid incidents of violence over the Maratha reservation issue in parts of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called activist Manoj Jarange over phone and assured a concrete decision on giving Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community during the state cabinet's meeting to be held later in the day, reported PTI.

Jarange has been on an indefinite hunger strike at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district since October 25 to demand reservation for the Maratha community, reported PTI.

After a "satisfactory" discussion with CM Shinde, Jarange started consuming water during his protest, a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said, reported PTI.

Maratha community members have been staging protests in different parts of the state seeking reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. At some places, quota supporters vandalised and torched the residences of some politicians. A curfew has been imposed in Maharashtra's Dharashiv district after incidents of violence.

CM Shinde called up Jarange on Tuesday morning and enquired about his health, the CMO statement said.

CM Shinde assured Jarange that he would take a concrete decision regarding issuing Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community in the cabinet meeting to be held later in the day, it said, reported PTI.

Sinde also informed Jarange that the state government was prepared to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court over the Maratha reservation issue, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)