MVA slams govt on quotas as Maratha leader again launches hunger strike

Mumbai: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) attacked the Maharashtra government for not implementing its promise on giving reservations to the Maratha community even as their leader Manoj Jarange-Patil started a fresh fast-unto-death agitation in Jalna on Wednesday.

Congress state President Nana Patole, Nationalist Congress Party Working President Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena-UBT national spokesperson Kihore Tiwari targeted Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CMs of Bharatiya Janata Party Devendra Fadnavis and NCP-AP's Ajit Pawar on the Maratha quotas issued that returned to the centre-stage in state politics.

Patole said that before it came to power, the BJP had assured quotas for Marathas, Tribals, Dhangars, OBCs, etc. but despite being in power for 10 years, they have not fulfilled the promise that is now fuelling afresh the Maratha agitation.

“The BJP’s attempts to create strife among communities has resulted in a huge outcry from all these sections of society. The CM is unsure whether he will retain his seat, so his words have no relevance, then how can be ensure the promised quotas for the Maratha brethren,” demanded Patole.

Sule took a swipe at Shinde who dramatically bowed and vowed before a bust of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at a Dassehra Rally in Mumbai on Tuesday night "to give justice and reservations to the Marathas till the last drop of blood in his body".

"Perhaps, he (CM) has some magic wand… Let us see what they now decide on the reservations and whether the decision will come in 24 hours,” said Sule, even as Shinde-Fadnavis left for New Delhi this evening.

Tiwari said that for the past 40 days, the government has taken "the Marathas for a ride with a big ‘jumla’ of hollow commitments to give the quotas", but it confused how to go about it now.

"Why did the government not think of this when the Special Session of Parliament was held last month where justice could have been done to Marathas and all other communities clamouring for reservations by raising the ceiling for quotas? It shows that the BJP at the state and Centre are only busy safeguarding their seats and fooling the people," he said.

Patole reminded Fadnavis how he had promised to give reservations to Marathas in the first cabinet meeting and in one month after becoming CM in 2014, and its now one-and-half-years since he returned to office as Deputy CM.

"Instead, they are consciously trying to create conflicts between the OBCs, Marathas, Dhangars and Tribals, and owing to this ‘cheating’ of the OBCs for political reservations, even the civic bodies elections are put on hold for past more than one-and-half years," he said.

Sule accused the double-engine government of 'policy paralysis'’ and politicising the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on the question of Maratha quotas, while Tiwari felt that the Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar regime has exposed itself on the issue and "the people will teach them a lesson in the next elections".