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Maharashtra Opposition MLAs met Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar on Wednesday and demanded that he convene a special session of the Maharashtra Assembly as soon as possible amid the ongoing Maratha quota protest.
The Opposition MLAs tendered a memorandum to the Speaker seeking a special session of the Assembly for discussions on the quota protest. The ongoing protest took a violent turn on Monday after the protestors vandalised the residences and offices of many politicians. The Maratha community has been up in arms over the last couple of months, demanding their inclusion in the state's OBC list. Amid the protest, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said the leaders attending the all-party meeting were in agreement that a quota should be provided to the Maratha community. Speaking to reporters after the all-party meeting on Wednesday, CM Shinde said, "Everyone in the all-party meeting agreed that the Maratha community should get a reservation. However, it was decided that the provision of Maratha quota should be within the legal framework and shouldn't be seen as an injustice to other communities." Quota activist Manoj Jarange has been observing an indefinite fast for over a week in a bid to step up pressure on the government to guarantee reservation for the Maratha community. On Tuesday, the Maratha reservation activist decided to take water after receiving a word of assurance from CM Shinde on the quota demand. Jarange-Patil, however, has continued his hunger strike. He said he would take water for two more days in the hope that the government would make good on its word to provide quota to the Maratha community. However, he said he would resume a complete hunger strike if the state fails to place Marathas under the OBC category, by giving them Kunbi caste certificates, over the next two days. The activist also demanded that the government convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the Maratha reservation demand. (ANI)
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