Shiv Sena calls activities of Maharashtra govt's sub-committee on Maratha reservation 'time pass'

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Saturday dubbed a cabinet sub-committee formed by the Maharashtra government to look into the issue of Maratha reservation as a “time pass” and sought to know why justice has not been meted out to the community despite several road shows in the state.

On 9 August, lakhs of members of the Maratha community, staged their 58th and final ‘muk morcha’ (silent protest) in Mumbai, demanding reservation in jobs and educational institutions.

The same day, Fadnavis announced in the state Assembly that the government would extend to the community the educational concessions that are currently given to the OBCs.

He had also said the government would form a cabinet sub-committee, which would review the implementation of various schemes for the community and accordingly, the five-member sub-committee was announced.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, it said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held a big roadshow in Ahmedabad. Such roadshows have their own benefits.”

“However, several roadshows, morchas and protests held by the Maratha community yielded no results,” it claimed.

The party said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis agreed to spend Rs 30,000 crore from the state’s coffers to realise Modi’s dream of a bullet train but allegedly adopted the Congress’ policy of forming a cabinet sub-committee for Maratha reservation to kill time.

It asked if there was any time limit for the committee and what were its powers.

“It is being said that this committee will submit its report to the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission. Also, it’ll hold discussions with Maratha organisations every three months. If talks will happen in three months, how long will this committee’s time pass last?” the Sena claimed.

The committee is headed by Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil. The other members are Diwakar Raote and Eknath Shinde of the Sena and Girish Mahajan and Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar of the BJP.