Stirs to go on: Maratha body

Mumbai: In an aggressive move, the Sakal Maratha Samaj is meeting on July 29 in Latur to decide the future course of action and to intensify the agitation on the Maratha reservation issue across the state, even as the state chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, is trying to find an amicable resolution to the issue. As part of its pacifying efforts, the government has called a meeting of all party leaders in the legislature.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Narayan Rane opined that government could give reservation without special session of the legislature. At the same time, the government has requested that the state backward class commission give its report on the Maratha reservation issue as soon as possible. Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil met president Justice M.G. Gaikwad on Friday evening and assured to give him all kind of help on infrastructure and staff to expedite the proceedings.

After 58 silence morchas, Maratha stir turned volatile. When government is under the pressure to sort issues as violence is going on since one week across the state, Sakal Maratha organisations will meet on July 29 for deciding the further course of action. Organisations are planning the agitation and rally on September 9 in Kolhapur and many agitations across the state in next month too. The backward commission approval is considered to be the most important thing. Mr Gaikwad is taking hearings across the state on the same. It is estimated to require four to five months to conclude the issue. “We requested him to conclude the proceedings as early as possible. The government will provide all infrastructure for it. Commission will give the details and timeline to the high court during the hearing on the issue,” said Mr Patil.

The president of Chhava organisation Nanasaheb Jawle declared in Latur that organisation would not allow Prime Minister’s program acr-oss the state till government gives reservation.