MUMBAI: The all-party leaders’ meeting called over the Maratha quota stir on Tuesday passed a resolution in favour of reservation for the community. Speaking to reporters after the all-party meet, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the state government is committed to granting reservation to Marathas but needs some time to study the matter and come up with a formula that will pass legal scrutiny.
The meeting was attended by 32 leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray was not invited. Shinde, who chaired the meeting, said the leaders discussed all issues pertaining to Maratha reservations and agreed to grant the quota.
However, “there are some issues that need to be addressed to give fool-proof reservations to the Maratha community”, Shinde said, pointing to the curative petitions filed in the Supreme Court. “Besides, the state government-appointed Justice Sandeep Shinde committee has been given two more months to study the data and documents of the Nizam era.
Most of the old records are in Urdu or Modi script, which will take time to be translated into Marathi. We do not want to do anything in a hurry that will be challenged in court. We want to give reservations that will not get struck down,” Shinde said. At the all-party meet, the leaders also expressed displeasure over the burning of houses, offices and damaging government and private properties by protesters.
Leaders ask activist to end fast
The all-party meeting urged activist Manoj Jarange to call off his indefinite fast seeking a fast decision on Maratha reservation. However, the activist refused to relent asking why the government needs more time to provide reservation to the community