Maratha quota: Maharashtra govt is completely ready for talks, says Sanjay Shirsat as protests intensify

Manoj Jarange. File Pic

The CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said that the Maharashtra government is completely ready for talks as the Maratha quota protests reignited in state on Saturday, the ANI reported.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange began a march to Mumbai on Saturday demanding immediate implementation of the reservation.

The move comes amidst a heated exchange of words between the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance and the opposition.

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Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat said that the biggest reason for the Maratha community's struggle for reservation is Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, as per the ANI.

He also invited protesters to bring a delegation and engage in "open discussion" with the state government.

"The Maharashtra government is completely ready to talk about the Maratha reservation; the government's door is forever open for discussion on the Maratha reservation. Our government does not do caste politics; we will do whatever has to be done, CM Shinde took an oath on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and said that he had talked about giving reservations," said Sanjay Shirsat, as per the PTI.

He further criticized former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for his inaction during his tenure, accusing him of treating the issue as mere political leverage.

"The biggest reason for not getting a reservation is Sharad Pawar. Uddhav Thackeray did not do anything while being the Chief Minister; he only did the work of staying in the house. He sees all this as politics, and he feels that if the Chief Minister gives a reservation, opposition shop will be closed," said Sanjay Shirsat, the news agency reported on Saturday.

However, the Shinde-Fadnavis-Ajit Pawar government maintained its stance of openness to dialogue.

Sanjay Shirsat reiterated the government's commitment to addressing the Maratha reservation issue, emphasising that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde "took an oath on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and promised to grant reservation."

Meanwhile, Manoj Jarange along with thousands of others on Saturday embarked on a protest march from Maharashtra's Jalna district to Mumbai to draw the state government's attention to the demand for reservation to his community, the PTI reported.

Speaking to reporters before beginning the march, Manoj Jarange lambasted the government for its "cruel and insensitive" attitude and failure to resolve the Maratha reservation issue, and vowed to continue the fight till his last breath.

(with ANI and PTI inputs)