Maha Oppn skips all party meeting on reservation issue

Mumbai: Maharashtra opposition parties decided to skip the meeting convened by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday to discuss Maratha and OBC reservation issues.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Vijay Wadettiwar said as the monsoon session was underway it won’t be possible to attend today’s meeting. The meeting was to take place on Monday but it did not happen due to heavy rains.

Wadettiwar said Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had already held talks with the pro-Maratha and pro-OBC quota activists but what transpired in those meetings was not conveyed to the opposition parties.

“Had CM and Deputy CM informed the outcome of the meetings it would have been useful for the opposition to take part in today’s meeting,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar appealed to the opposition to reconsider its decision and attend today’s meeting. “The opposition leaders can attend the meeting and express their concerns. Today’s meeting aims to maintain social harmony, especially in the wake of issues raised by Maratha, OBC and other communities. The opposition can make their suggestions at the meeting. Therefore, I appeal to them to attend today’s meeting,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

NCP legislator Jayant Patil said that the opposition wants the issues raised by the Maratha and OBC communities to be amicably resolved and they are not opposed to those issues.

“Already an all party meeting was held. There is no point to again attend today’s meeting as the CM and Deputy CM should have told what they discussed with Maratha and OBC activists in the past. In any case, the government is going to take a final decision,” he added.

Congress legislator Nana Patole also said that today’s meeting should have taken place if the state government had briefed the opposition about the deliberations that took place by the CM and Deputy CM with Maratha and OBC activists.

Tuesday’s all party meeting convened by the Chief Minister is crucial when pro-Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil has been travelling across the state demanding the decision on all inclusive reservation while OBC leader Laxman Hake, who suspended his indefinite fast after the state government’s intervention, is demanding that the government should not touch OBC quota while providing benefits to the Martha community.