Govt hiding SBCC report even from senior ministers: Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday alleged that the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government was keeping senior ministers in the dark about the contents of the State Backward Class Commission (SBCC) report recommending quota for the Maratha community.

Addressing a press conference at Press Room of the state Legislature on Tuesday, senior NCP leader and former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar, who was accompanied by leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said that the government is hiding the reports from its ministers also.

Mr Pawar said that it seems the ministers have also been kept in the dark. “I have been briefed by various ministers including the senior ones, that they are also not aware of the reports,” he claimed.

Mr Vikhe-Patil asked, why is the government objecting for tabling the report of the Maratha community?

The opposition has been demanding since the beginning of the winter session that the report of State Backward Class Committee should be tabled in the state Legislature.

Earlier in the day, all party meeting had been called with the chief mi-nister Devendra Fadnavis. The NCP leader alleged that the government has no intention to give a reservation to the Maratha community.

He also said that the chief minister or government does not give appropriate answers of the queries in the meeting.

Mr Pawar also criticised Mr Fadnavis for his style of answering the questions. He said that the way the chief minister was replying in the House, seemed like it will lead to a fight bet-ween us (Opposition).