No law and order in Maharashtra: Sanjay Raut slams Shinde govt over Maratha quota row

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Maratha quota row: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on the ruling Shiv Sena and said that the law and order in Maharashtra is deteriorating amid the ongoing Maratha reservation row, reported news agency ANI.

"Look at the situation in Maharashtra, you are seeing that people of Maratha community have taken to the streets, the MLA and the minister are being stopped. Villages are being entered and their houses are being burnt. Law and order have completely broken down", he said while addressing a press conference, reported PTI.

Sanjay Raut said that there should be no politics on the issue of Maratha reservation, reported PTI.

"There should be no politics on this issue, what kind of politics is there when it comes to law and order of the state? We should come together and discuss this question and solve the problem," he added.

Sanjay Raut said that his party which has '6 MPs and 16 MLAs' was not invited to the meeting, reported PTI.

Targeting the Shinde Government, Sanjay Raut said "This is your personal hatred and anger, this type of politics does not work"

Meanwhile, the quota activist Manoj Jarange has been sitting on an indefinite fast for over a week. On Tuesday the Maratha reservation activist had decided to start drinking water after CM Eknath Shinde assured him of a solution.

Jarange-Patil however continues his agitation refusing to eat solid food. Patil says he will continue to drink water for two more days but would resume his complete hunger strike if the state government fails to place Marathas under the OBC category by giving them Kunbi caste certificates.

The activist also demanded that the government convene a special session to discuss the Maratha reservation demand.

The workers' union at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj market yard in Pune has called for the shutdown of the market for one day to show support to Maratha reservation demand by Manoj Jarange Patil.

Earlier on Tuesday, the state government accepted the first report presented by the Justice Shinde committee and issued a Government Resolution (GR), to decide the procedure for granting Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha in the Marathwada region.

Meanwhile, An all-party meeting called by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss the situation in the state amid the intensified Maratha quota agitation began in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (of the BJP), NCP president Sharad Pawar, senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, former CM Ashok Chavan (Congress), Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab, among others, were present in the meeting.

(With inputs from ANI)