Bawankule: Solution to quota issue in Maha will be reached through consensus

Maharashtra BJP head Chandrashekhar Bawankule indicated that the Mahayuti government is dedicated to reaching an agreement on the Maratha and OBC reservation demandsAfter meeting with a government delegation on Saturday activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare concluded their hunger fast which began on June 13 in Jalna district Their demonstration came in reaction to Maratha activist Manoj Jaranges demand that Marathas be included in the OBC reservation category reported PTIAccording to the reportBawankule informed reporters on Saturday that the Mahayuti government is committed to granting Maratha community reservations without impacting the existing OBC quotaA solution will be found through consensus the BJP leader saidHe further stated that the administration is working to avert any conflicts between OBCs and Marathas the report addedAccording to another PTI report the two activists who have been fasting for the OBC quota for eight days claim that the confusion caused by activist Manoj Jarange is causing Maratha youths to commit suicide They also accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of disregarding their protest according to PTI Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare have been agitating in Wadigodri village Jalna district Maharashtra demanding that OBC reservations not be dilutedThey oppose Jaranges intention to execute a draft notification identifying Kunbis assage soyare blood relatives of Maratha community members Kunbi an agrarian group is categorised as OBC and Manoj Jarange has been seeking that all Marathas be given Kunbi credentials making them eligible for quotas in government jobs and education according to the PTIHake remarked that the Maratha community may be economically challenged but it is not socially backwardThe reservation criteria pertain to those who are socially backward said Hake suggesting that Marathas should pursue schemes for their economic development with the government Jarange is creating confusion and because of that Maratha youths are committing suicide over the reservation Manoj Jarange is comparing Marathas to OBC communities Hake said according to the news agencyHake said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ignored their protestThe chief minister has shut his eyes and ears to our protest he told usHe stated that Guardian Minister Atul Save Rajya Sabha member Bhagwat Karad and newly elected Aurangabad MP Sandipan Bhumre met with them on Monday in their personal capacities rather than as government representativesEven Jalna Collector Dr Shrikrishna Panchal who paid them a visit on Wednesday night remained silent on the governments response to their protestsThe collector rejected the claim telling reporters that Minister Save had gone to see the fasting OBC activists on behalf of the chief minister He stated that the twos health was deteriorating and they had attempted to urge them to seek medical attentionA team of doctors and a cardiac van ambulance have been dispatched to the demonstration scene he said The collectors also urged OBC members who have been blocking roads in the district to conduct their protests quietly and democraticallyMeanwhile Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chairman Prakash Ambedkar visited Hake and Waghmare in Wadigodri to express his support Ambedkar said the government has failed to address the concerns of both Marathas and OBC members This could lead to a confrontation between the OBC and the Maratha communities he saidNo Maratha leader has commented on the OBC protest Theyre just watching There should be measures to prevent any potential clash Maratha leaders should step forward to calm both communities Ambedkar statedManoj Jarange claimed on Wednesday that the state administration may be aiding some agitations to avoid addressing the demand for a Maratha quota under the OBC category