Maharashtra: All party meeting on Maratha reservation begins in Mumbai

MUMBAI: An all-party meeting on Maratha reservation chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde started at Sahyadari Guest House in Mumbai on Monday. Along with CM Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are also taking part in the meeting.

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Ambadas Danve and Vijay Wadettiwar were also invited to the meeting. Jayant Patil, Balasaheb Thorat, Anil Parab, Rajesh Tope, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Raju Patil, Vinod Nikolay, Sadbhau Khot, Rajendra Gavai, Sunil Tatkare, Gautam Sonawane are some of the leaders who are present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Maratha outfits had called for a bandh today in protest against the recent lathi charge by the police in Jalna district against protesters demanding reservation in Maharashtra. The call for a bandh (shutdown) has received widespread support from various political parties. Suhas Desai, the head of the city unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), has voiced his support for the Bandh. Similarly, Pradeep Shinde, the city president of the Shiv Sena (UBT), has also backed the move.

Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday night held a meeting with a group of protesters from Jalna in Mumbai, and later said that "there was a positive discussion." The meeting was convened after a delegation of protesters from Jalna came and met CM Eknath Shinde in Mumbai. The protesters have been demanding reservation for the Maratha community. "There has been a positive discussion with the delegation sent by Maratha agitation leader Manoj Jarange Patil. This delegation will discuss with Manoj Jarange, and we hope that this will find a way,” CM Shinde said while speaking to reporters after the meeting.

On September 1, a clash broke out between police and those demanding reservations for the Maratha community. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the demonstrators.

Meanwhile, Manoj Jarange Patil who works as a coordinator for the Maratha Morcha and has been on a hunger strike for the past few weeks for Maratha reservations continued his strike. He has held extensive talks with the Maharashtra government but a breakthrough is yet to be achieved.

Jarange Patil has demanded a change in the ordinance issued by the state government regarding Maratha reservations. Their stand is that the fast to death will continue unless the desired change is made in the ordinance.