Sharad Pawar rubbing salt on the wounds of Maratha community: Shiv Sena

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A day, after agitation for reservation for the Maratha community turned violent in Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Saturday, launched a scathing attack on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, saying that the NCP supremo is rubbing salt on the wounds of the Maratha community and giving it a casteist connotation to law and order situation.

This comes hours after NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Maratha quota agitators injured in police action and sought removal of the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations.

IN PHOTOS: Protest in Maharashtra against police action on Maratha quota agitators in Jalna

1 year agoPHOTO GALLERY

While addressing a press conference held in Mumbai, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjeev Bhor said that the Opposition is doing crooked politics on the Maratha issue.

"Sharad Pawar is rubbing salt on the wounds of the Maratha community and giving it a casteist connotation to the law and order situation. He has always politicised the issue of the Maratha community. Because of him, the reservation status was left dangling. Had Pawar actually wanted and decided, he could have given reservation through the Mandal Commission," Bhor added.

"Earlier reservation was demanded from the then Prime Minister VP Singh. However, only because of Sharad Pawar's refusal, did the issue of the Maratha reservation get stuck in red tape. Now that they are no longer in power and the party is on the decline, Pawar is in a state of despair," Bhor alleged.

The Shiv Sena spokesperson also slammed Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, saying that he was considered an opponent of the Maratha reservation.

"The Gaikwad report was once dismissed as bogus by the Wadettiwar. Today, they pretend to stand behind the Maratha community," he added.

Bhor further said that the Opposition has a history of insulting the Maratha community.

"Earlier, in Shiv Sena (UBT)'s mouthpiece, Saamana, Uddhav Thackeray and Ambadas Danve called Muk Morcha as 'Mukaa (Kiss) Morcha'," he claimed.

Bhor alleged that Danve kicked the activists who were announcing the Maratha reservation.

"Not just that, when Ashok Chavan was the Chief Minister, he lathi-charged the workers demanding reservation. Sharad Pawar did not utter a single word about this. The Maratha reservation issue was cancelled when Uddhav Thackeray was the CM," he said.

Maharashtra's Jalna district on Friday saw violence break out as Maharashtra Police lathi-charged with batons on protesters demonstrating for reservation for the Maratha community.

On Friday, police had resorted to baton charges and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob that allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike to the hospital.

Around 40 policemen and several protesters were injured and many buses were set on fire during the violence that erupted in Ambad tehsil in Jalna. More than 350 persons have been booked for alleged involvement in the untoward incidents.