MKM: Not responsible for violence

Mumbai: Rattled by the violence due to ongoing statewide agitation for Maratha reservation, the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) claimed that its volunteers had nothing to do with the violence that took place in the last eight days.

A meeting of the MKM’s state level coordinators took place in Parali, Beed on Thursday. The statement over violence was released after the meeting. The organisation has also made it clear that the agitation will continue but from now onwards, it will be in the form of merely ‘sit in’ agitations across Maharashtra.

MKM also demanded for suspension of the cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of Chandrakant Patil as it failed to implement its decisions. In the meeting, MKM activists expressed concern over violence that took place in various parts of the state during Maharashtra Bandh.

“We are concerned about the violence, but we also want to state that our activists have not taken  such extreme steps,” said MKM. The organization also declared that from now onwards there won’t be any agitation on roads. “The agitation will continue, but it will be off road now. We will do ‘sit-in’ agitation all over Maharashtra,” annou-nced MKM.

It was also discussed in a meeting about the decisions that state government’s cabinet sub-committee is taking for the Maratha community. But now parent body of Maratha organisations has also demanded to scrap the committee due to failure in implementation of those decisions. Revenue minister Chandrakant Patil heads the cabinet sub-committee and it meets every week in Mumbai.

MKM has also appealed to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to declare the ‘time bound program’ of allotting reservation to Maratha.