Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar Questions Sharad Pawar on Maratha Reservation
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 28: Amid a debate on Maratha and OBC reservations in Maharashtra, Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar targeted NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar and asked about his opinion on Maratha protestors’ demand for reservations from the OBC quota.
Shelar said, “Sharad Pawar is a senior leader and reacting to his statement might not have been appropriate if his statement was clear. We want to know why, during the Maratha reservation protest, your party NCP-SCP was not ready to attend the all-party meeting called by CM Eknath Shinde. Uddhav Thackeray’s party and Congress were also not ready to come. Why did you people not attend the meeting? Now everyone wants to know, what is your opinion on Maratha reservation protestors’ demand that they need reservation from the OBC quota.”
Earlier, Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal met National Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar and said that the alleged clashes between people belonging to Maratha and OBC communities over reservation can be stopped if all parties come together. This was the first meeting of Chhagan Bhujbal with Sharad Pawar after the NCP split in July last year.
After meeting with Pawar, Bhujbal said, “NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar knows how the people of different communities are living in villages. I told him that there are clashes in villages in connection with the Maratha reservation. This can be stopped if leaders of all parties come together, otherwise the situation will keep worsening. He (Sharad Pawar) said he would speak to CM Shinde and try to bring out a solution.”
In June, Manoj Jarange Patil suspended his indefinite fast and set a deadline for the Maharashtra government to accept the community’s demands. Jarange has been demanding reservations for the Maratha community under the OBC category for several years. In February this year, the Maharashtra government, during a special assembly session, approved a Bill to extend 10 per cent reservation to the Marathas, based on a report submitted by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC).
Doubts Revealed
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the major political parties in India.
Ashish Shelar -: Ashish Shelar is a politician from Mumbai and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is currently the President of the Mumbai BJP.
Sharad Pawar -: Sharad Pawar is a senior Indian politician and the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He has been involved in Indian politics for many years.
Maratha Reservation -: Maratha Reservation refers to the demand by the Maratha community in Maharashtra for a certain percentage of government jobs and educational seats to be reserved for them.
NCP-SP -: NCP-SP stands for Nationalist Congress Party and Samajwadi Party. These are two political parties in India.
OBC quota -: OBC quota refers to the reservation for Other Backward Classes in government jobs and educational institutions. It is meant to help communities that are socially and educationally disadvantaged.
CM Eknath Shinde -: CM Eknath Shinde is the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a state in India. He is responsible for the administration of the state.
Chhagan Bhujbal -: Chhagan Bhujbal is a politician from Maharashtra and a minister in the state government. He is involved in discussions to resolve community issues.
Manoj Jarange Patil -: Manoj Jarange Patil is a leader from the Maratha community who has been actively demanding reservations for his community.
