Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed the Maratha community members to refrain from calling any protest during a pandemic and assured them that the government is committed to working on the Maratha reservations.
Amid protests called on by various pro-Maratha quota organizations, the CM in his online address to the state on Sunday said that they are exploring various options on providing Maratha reservations, which was given an interim stay by the Supreme Court on September 9.
“We do not want to do politics over this sensitive issue. The government is committed to this reservation. We will approach the Supreme Court and take the case to a larger constitutional bench as per suggestions of the apex body. We appeal the people to extend the cooperation with the state government,” Thackeray said.
The CM said that the ruling of the apex court was also unexpected as reservations in other states were not touched and the petitions in that regard were also pending any ruling.
Uddhav Thackeray’s appeal comes when pro-Maratha activists have started calls for protests in various districts while some organizations have started their deliberations at Aurangabad to decide the future course of action.
“This is your government so there is no point in agitating against our own. I have also spoken with the Opposition leader and BJP MLA Devendra Fadnavis who is presently in Bihar, he has also promised to extend all help. So, let’s solve this together,” Thackeray said.
Breaking his silence on actor Kangana Ranaut’s controversy, the chief minister said there are deliberate efforts being made by some people to malign the state and target his government.
“But I have seen many such political storms. Politics is being played. Let them do that. I will not speak on the issue now but will make my stand clear some other time after keeping the chief ministerial mask aside,’’ he noted.
However, Thackeray did not speak over the attack on the retired Navy Officer allegedly by Shiv Sena activists.