Shirdi: A Maharashtra minister on Thursday said that the state government is always ready to hold talks with activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who is marching with his followers to Mumbai to hold an indefinite fast from August 29 to press his demand for reservation to the Maratha community from the OBC quota.
Water Resources Minister and Cabinet sub-committee chairman Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, on Thursday said that it was the MahaYuti government which provided reservation to the Maratha community and not the earlier Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
“The reservation issue will not be resolved by criticising Chief Minister Fadnavis personally. The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders should atone for not providing reservation to the Maratha community instead of simply advising the government,” said Vikhe-Patil.
Vikhe-Patil made this comment after Jarange-Patil stated that the permission granted to him by the Mumbai Police to hold an agitation for a day was a joke and it was not acceptable to him.
Jarange-Patil declared that he would go ahead with the indefinite fast until the government provides reservation to the Maratha community which will pass the test of law.
Minister Vikhe-Patil said that he had not directly contacted Jarange-Patil but had established contact through his colleagues.
“The government is ready to talk to Jarange-Patil at any time, but since he is adamant about going to Mumbai for his agitation, our position is to hold discussions with him in Mumbai itself. We will take a decision in this regard after discussing with the members of the sub-committee. If there is positivity from both sides, it will help to take the discussion to a logical conclusion,” he mentioned.
“The role of the grand alliance government in resolving the legal issue of reservation was positive even yesterday, and it is still positive today.
“However, instead of relying only on these legal issues, the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Fadnavis has taken an initiative to support the youth and students of the Maratha community through government undertakings including the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI).
“Through SARTHI, scholarships are being provided to students to study in the state as well as abroad. Such work has never been done in the state earlier for the youth of the Maratha community,” he said.
Minister Vikhe-Patil said that financial assistance of Rs 1,248 crore was given to the youth through the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation.
He reiterated that the issues raised by Jarange-Patil are related to legal matters and the government has given six months’ extension to the Justice Shinde Committee which is looking into them.
“In connection with the Hyderabad Gazette, a team of officials was sent to verify the documents collected by him. The process of issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members has also been started. The Justice Shinde Committee is working to avoid further complications,” he remarked.
The minister attacked the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders for targeting the state government on the Maratha reservation issue.
“The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has not taken the reservation issue seriously. On the contrary, they have wasted the reservation given by the Mahayuti government, for which they should atone,” he reiterated.
(IANS)
