Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati — a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji — refused to end his fast regarding the quota in jobs and education for the Maratha community even as the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government leaders reassured the royal from Kolhapur that the community’s demands would be met soon.
The BJP Rajya Sabha MP, who has been galvanising community efforts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s repeal of the Maratha quota law last year, is on a hunger strike since Saturday in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan.
MVA leaders like Home Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dilip Walse-Patil and Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale met Mr. Sambhajiraje to persuade him to call off his agitation.
“While the doors of discussion have been opened [by the visits of the MVA leaders], any decision from the government will have to be in written form…I have staged agitations in the past but had called them off following the Thackeray government’s assurances which they are yet to fulfil,” said the BJP MP, as his hunger strike entered its second day.
Mr. Walse-Patil said he would try his best for a speedy resolution to the Maratha community’s demands following a meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Mr. Pawar said the Chief Minister, who had chaired a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on the quota, had already directed it (of which Mr. Pawar is a part of) to ensure implementation of various welfare schemes for the community.
The ‘Maratha Mahasangh’ — a pro-quota outfit — has called for a shutdown in Pandharpur (in Solapur district) on Monday and in Kolhapur district the following day.
Silent sit-ins
The Rajya Sabha MP had previously announced a series of five silent sit-ins in various parts of the State.
While the reservation imbroglio is yet to be resolved, the immediate demands of the various Maratha outfits include the strengthening of SARTHI (Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research Training and Human Development Institute), giving more funds to Annasaheb Patil Mahamandal, setting up hostels or giving scholarships to the community students and jobs among others.
