Sharad Pawar calls for removal of 50 per cent cap on reservation

Sharad Pawar/ File Pic

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar urged the BJP-led central government on Friday to amend the constitution to increase the reservation cap in education and government posts beyond the present 50 per cent. According to PTI, Pawar underlined that while giving reservations for the Maratha community, it is critical to ensure that current boundaries for other groups are not violated. He questioned, "If Tamil Nadu can have 78 per cent reservation for various communities, why can't Maharashtra have 75 per cent?"

Pawar urged the Centre to take the initiative for this constitutional amendment, saying, "We will support the amendment."

He also stated that discussions over seat-sharing among opposition leaders in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition would resume next week. "I would only advise the leaders to conclude the talks as early as possible so that we can go to the people, who are looking for a change," he said according to the news agency report.

The MVA partners, including the NCP (SP), the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Congress, fared well in the recent Lok Sabha elections, winning 30 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. The state assembly elections are scheduled for November.

Reportedly, Pawar expressed hope about the public's yearning for change and emphasised the importance of respecting their feelings. He applauded the government's decision to grant Marathi "classical language" status but expressed concern about the dwindling number of pupils learning the language and the closing of Marathi schools. "Discussions on these issues are necessary," he made clear.

He accused the state government of diverting funding from important programs to favour populist schemes. "The arrears of government aid to the Sangli cancer hospital is over Rs 4 crore. Across the state, the arrears of aid to cancer hospitals are Rs 700 crore. I was told that since funds needed to be diverted to the populist schemes, the administration was helpless. If this is the situation in the medical field, what can be said about other areas? There are many government-aided hospitals that are not just dedicated to cancer," Pawar told the news agency.

According to the report, Pawar also decried recent incidences of violence against women, such as the example of a sweeper accused of attacking young girls, claiming that, despite financial assistance, women's safety is being disregarded.

Regarding Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's comments on the "Ladki Bahin" plan, which affects timely subsidy payments, Pawar pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also referred to such schemes as a "Revdi culture" that must be ended. He recognised Gadkari's positive approach to development, particularly road improvements.

Reportedly, in response to Gadkari's assertion that the opposition had offered him the Prime Minister's position, Pawar emphasised, "We made no such offer. If we don't have the necessary number of MPs, how can we make such an offer?"

When asked about his energy at nearly 84 years old, Pawar joked that it seems to increase with age. He also commented on Modi's campaign efforts, noting the Prime Minister's mixed results in the previous Lok Sabha elections and suggesting he should hold many rallies ahead of the assembly polls, the report added.