Jalna (Maharashtra): Shortly after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar’s assurances, the Maratha Kranti Morcha leaders have decided to continue their week-long stir “till the official Government Resolution (GR) is issued and received” by them, here on Monday.
In a renewed attack, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray demanded the resignation of the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress (AP) for their failure to handle the Maratha quotas crisis.
MKM leader Manoj Jarange-Patil, who is on a hunger strike since August 29, warned that he will wait for the state communication and if the GR on providing reservations is not received, he would even go off water from Tuesday.
Shinde, who assured that the government is willing and committed to giving the quotas in education and jobs, also deputed senior minister Girish Mahajan to Jalna on Monday with a proposal.
Earlier, the CM’s representative, ex-MLA from Jalna, Arjun Khotkar met Jarange-Patil and conveyed the government’s proposal.
Incidentally, Jalna which witnessed strong clampdown by the police on September 1 is the home district of Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve.
After strong reactions from all quarters, Fadnavis on Monday apologised to the victims of the police caning who are undergoing treatment in local hospitals in Antarvali-Sarati village but pounced on the Opposition parties for trying to defame the government with false narratives.
Adopting an aggressive stance, Jarange-Patil reiterated his demands of Sunday, including government decision on quotas within two days, suspension or dismissal of all the police and administrative officials responsible for the attack on the protestors and withdrawal of cases against his supporters.
Maharashtra unit Congress president Nana Patole on Monday demanded Maratha reservations be taken up in the upcoming Special Session of Parliament, while Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar called for a Special Session of Maharashtra Legislature to finalise the quotas.
Terming the Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar regime as ‘nalayak’ (worthless), Thackeray said they should immediately quit office or be thrown out of power for the crackdown on the Maratha protestors and misleading them on the legal aspects.
Slamming Ajit Pawar for his statement that if the Opposition leaders can prove he or Shinde and Fadnavis were responsible for the police caning in Jalna, then he ‘would quit politics’, Thackeray asked him to “demand proof of corruption from Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.
The Sena (UBT) supremo also said that if a Special Session of Legislature is called, it can resolve the problems of Marathas and other communities which are seeking reservations.
Rushing to Jalna on Monday morning, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray alleged that the Marathas are being taken for a ride for their crucial votes during elections and they are not likely to get any quotas, since the matter is still pending before the Supreme Court.
(IANS)
