Maratha quota row: Unanimous resolution passed after all-party meeting, activist Jarange asked to withdraw indefinite fast

The Maharashtra government is in favour of the Maratha quota, CM Shinde said after the meeting in Mumbai. Activist Jarange should cooperate with the government in ensuring quota for the Maratha community, he said.

Mumbai:Leaders at an all-party meeting on Maratha quota chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday passed a resolution asking activist Manoj Jarange to call off his indefinite fast.

The meeting also passed a resolution appealing to maintain law and order in the state. The resolution unanimously passed by all political parties has appealed Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil to withdraw his fast-unto-death. It also said all parties are unanimous in giving reservation to Marathas. The resolution also pointed out that the incidents of violence in the state "are wrong and are defaming the agitation".

The Maharashtra government is in favour of the Maratha quota, CM Shinde said after the meeting in Mumbai. Activist Jarange should cooperate with the government in ensuring quota for the Maratha community, he said.

State-run bus services have been completely suspended in five Marathwada districts while curfew and Internet shut-down were imposed in parts of Beed on Monday where the houses of political leaders were targeted by protesters. The CM has appealed to people not to resort to violence and also asked political parties to avoid indulging in any activities that would worsen the situation.

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, attended the meeting. An official in the Chief Minister's Office earlier said Shinde will apprise opposition leaders of the government's plans to handle the situation and seek their support.

Shinde sought the opinions of opposition leaders and also apprised them of the government's plans to handle the situation in the state. The fast-unto-death by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil to press for the Maratha reservation in the state entered its seventh day on Tuesday when the Maharashtra Cabinet accepted a preliminary report submitted by the retired Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee on the prickly issue of Maratha quotas.

The opposition outfit's leader, Sanjay Raut said Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray was not invited for the all-party meeting. Slamming the Shiv Sena-led coalition government, Raut said while Maharashtra is burning, the Shinde dispensation is resorting to "shameless politics".

"Leaders with just one or no MLA have been invited for the all-party meeting, but a party with 16 MLAs and six MPs has not been extended an invitation because Shiv Sena (UBT) has become an eyesore to them," Raut said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Rajya Sabha MP, a close aide of Thackeray, asserted his party does not need any honour, but wants the long-pending issue of Maratha reservation to be resolved quickly.

The decision comes a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said a government-appointed committee scrutinised 1.72 crore old documents (including those of Nizam-era) and among them, 11,530 records were found where Kunbi caste was mentioned.

Kunbis, a community associated with agriculture, are grouped under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category in Maharashtra and enjoy reservation benefits in education and government jobs.

To validate the evidence documents submitted by 12 different departments of the Maharashtra government, the administration has been asked to modify the 2012 rules for issuing caste certificates to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Nomadic Tribes, and OBCs, said the GR.

The Justice Shinde Committee had, on Monday, given its report on the process to determine the Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates based on the Nizam period after it found 11,530 such certificates from over 1.72 crore documents it scrutinized in the past month. Accordingly, the Marathas shall be issued the ‘Kunbi Caste’ certificates which will make them eligible for quotas, as demanded by the Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said authorities have identified 50 to 55 people who were involved in violent activities in various parts of the state during the ongoing Maratha quota agitation, and asserted culprits will face strict action.

Police stepped up security at the Mantralaya, the residences of the chief minister, ministers, and other politicians as well as the offices of political parties in Mumbai and elsewhere in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Manoj Jarange Patil, during a press conference, urged for a special assembly session to declare reservations for the Maratha community. “We (Shinde and Jarange) spoke over the phone. I clearly told him that we will not accept the reservation which would be based on Kunbi records found,” Jarange-Patil said. He even urged people to “not get aggressive.” However, he asked them to “continue the chain hunger strike as much as possible.” Jarange-Patil also stated that the prohibition on politicians entering villages will persist.

The SP of violence-marred Beed district Nandkumar Tryambak Thakur said a total of 12 offences have been registered and 55 people have been arrested. He further added that strict action will be taken against anyone who tries to break the law.

While speaking to the news agency ANI, Thakur said, “A total of 12 offences have been registered after the incidents in Beed yesterday... We have identified 300-400 people. 55 people have been taken into custody. 12 FIRs have been arrested till now. An investigation is underway, and strong action will be taken.” (With Agency inputs)