Winter session: Some ex-members got supari to delay Maratha quota issue, says Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis addresses the media during the Winter session in Nagpur. File pic/PTI

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday dubbed "politically motivated" the claim made by former State Backward Class Commission member BL Killarikar against him over the survey of communities in the state. Speaking on resignations by some members of the panel, Fadnavis said some of them and others had been given a ‘supari' (contract) by their political masters to delay the Maratha reservation issue.

Killarikar had claimed that Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde was ready to conduct a large-scale survey of communities in the state but Fadnavis was not in favour. Earlier in the day, opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress party alleged that members of the SBCC were being threatened and forced to resign. He told the legislative assembly that the commission chairman Justice Anand Nirgude (retired) has also stepped down.

"Three political parties had appointed their workers as the members of the commission when it was formed in the past. Researchers were to be made members of SBCC. When we (BJP-Shiv Sena) were in power (2014-19), we didn't appoint any political workers but researchers," Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

"The person met Sharad Pawar after resigning because he was appointed by the NCP chief," Fadnavis said in an apparent reference to Killarikar. He dismissed Killarikar's claim of interference in the working of SBCC. "This department (SBCC) does not come under me so there is no question of I having exerted any pressure. I never held any discussion with the commission on the works undertaken by them. This is a politically motivated statement. Their political masters want to delay the Maratha reservation issue," Fadnavis said.

The deputy CM said SBCC chairman Anand Nirgude has said that he had resigned due to personal reasons and didn't raise any objections. "We were expecting him to work in his capacity for some more time, but he resigned" he added. Earlier in the day, Killarikar claimed the government had tried to interfere (in the functioning of the commission).

"The government said the affidavits, which were to be submitted in various quota-related cases in the Bombay HC and which were finalised by the commission, should be checked by the Advocate General and the state. It said that nothing should be mentioned in the affidavit that will land the government in trouble," Killarikar told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. He said the "interference" by the government and an attempt to deny independence to the commission was a key issue behind resignations. State is witnessing protests by the Maratha community demanding the reservation in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.

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