Maharashtra politics: Nana Patole blames BJP for 'Maratha reservation' protests in state

Nana Patole. File Pic

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Thursday questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) stand on the Maratha community's demand for reservations, reported the ANI.

Nana Patole alleged that the BJP was solely responsible for the protests in the state on this issue, as per the ANI.

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"The thorns that BJP had sown to win the elections are now coming out, BJP should fulfil the promise it had made in 2014 regarding 16 per cent Maratha reservation. Now there is a BJP government in the Center and the state too. Why are they not giving reservations?," Nana Patole said while speaking to ANI.

"BJP is responsible for the protests of the Maratha community," the Congress leader said.

Last month Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called an all-party meeting on the Maratha reservation issue and said that the government has decided to give reservations to Marathas and accepted many of the protesters' demands.

"In the meeting, we have decided to give reservation to Marathas. The government is of the view to give reservations to Maratha without touching the other (castes) reservations," CM Eknath Shinde said.

He further said, "The decision to give reservations to Marathas must be valid legally and it must stand in law, so we are working on it. The government has accepted many of the protester's demands too."

Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said that no politics should be done on the issue of Maratha reservation adding that his party will welcome and extend support to the positive initiatives taken by the state government on this matter.

On September 1, a clash broke out between police and those demanding reservations for the Maratha community. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the demonstrators.

Days after the clashes, the Congress had demanded that the Central government should take a decision on Maratha reservation in the upcoming special session of the Parliament and give justice to the entire Maratha community.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole had earlier said that the Bharatiya Janta Party government has itself aggravated the issue of giving reservations to the Maratha community.

"The BJP is an anti-reservation party, so they don't want to provide reservation. The BJP has been in power at the center for the past nine years, but they haven't taken any decision regarding Maratha reservations. If the BJP genuinely wishes to grant reservation to the Maratha community, they should take a decision in the upcoming special session of the Parliament and give justice to the entire Maratha community," Patole had earlier said.

(with ANI and PTI inputs)