Jalgaon (Maharashtra): NCP president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday demanded that the Centre remove the 50 per cent cap on quota and raise it by 15-16 per cent to accommodate more communities, amid the renewed focus on Maratha reservation in Maharashtra. Addressing a news conference, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a meeting on Wednesday of all party heads of the INDIA alliance, an opposition bloc of 28 parties aiming to take on the BJP-led Centre in next year's general elections.
The state has been witnessing protests by the Maratha community, demanding reservations in government jobs and educational institutions. Some people say that making more people (communities) beneficiaries of the OBC (other backward class) quota is an injustice to the poor people of the (existing) OBC quota. This cannot be ignored.
The option is to make amendments by the Centre in Parliament to the existing 50 per cent cap and add 15-16 per cent to it, Pawar said in response to a question on demands being made by some leaders to accommodate Marathas in the existing OBC quota. He said there should be no differences between OBC and other communities.
On the drought-like situation in many parts of Maharashtra, Pawar said fodder for cattle, drinking water, steps to salvage crops wherever possible, economic assistance to farmers and suspension of all types of state levies are some of the measures that need to be taken by the government. Maratha reservation returned to the centre stage last week after the police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse a violent mob in Antarwali Sarathi village in Jalna district.
The police said protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to the hospital. Several persons. including 40 police personnel, were injured and more than 15 state transport buses were set ablaze in the Jalna violence. (PTI)
