NASHIK: Under the aegis of MP Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, a second round of silent agitation in favour of the Maratha reservation was held here on Monday. Organised by the Maratha Kranti Morcha, the agitation was staged in front of the Thorat hall at the Marathon Chowk on the city’s Gangapur Road. It was attended by District Guardian Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Agriculture Minister Dada Bhuse, state assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal, MP Bharati Pawar and MLA Nitin Pawar.
Speaking on the matter, Bhujbal asserted that he himself as well as his party NCP is pro-Maratha quota. “CM Uddhav Thackeray of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government also supports this demand and various efforts are being made by the government in the same regards,” he remarked.
Bhujbal also said, “The role of NCP, Congress, Shiv Sena and others is that the Marathas should get reservation. This community should not be deprived of reservation without affecting anyone else’s reservation. The MVA is doing its best at the state level. But even the central government has to be more serious about what happens in the Supreme Cour. There is no point in the Centre intervening and taking initiative to amend the law.”
Agitations postponed for a month
In view of the 21-days duration demanded by the state government to fulfill the demands of the Maratha community which are in its jurisdiction, the Maratha Kranti Morcha has decided to give a month’s duration to the government for the same. As a result, the decision to postpone the remaining silent agitations for a month was taken in a meeting of state conveners of Maratha Kranti Morcha here on Monday.
Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale made the announcement. “The state government has completed most of our demands. But it has demanded at least 21 days duration to fulfill the remaining demands. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the silent agitation by a month. The government should fulfill the remaining demands during this period. However, my tour of Sambhajinagar, Raigad will continue and our taluk-wise, district-wise meetings will continue. In fact, the struggle for the Maratha reservation is on, it will not stop at all,” Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje Bhosale said while announcing the decision in a press conference here on Monday. “I myself, all our activists who fought the struggle and the community were restless and unhappy due to the Supreme Court’s decision to cancel the Maratha reservation.
It led to strife between the government and the opponents and they indulged in allegations and counter allegations. However, we have taken the stand to give justice to the community and we wanted a solution, option to the problem. Therefore, we held the first silent agitation at Kolhapur where Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj had given the first reservation in 1902,” Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje said.
