Maratha Kranti Morcha issues quota ultimatum

Mumbai: The Maratha Kranti Morcha has demanded that reservation be granted to the Maratha community before the monsoon session of the legislature. Agitations will be held at Nagpur for various demands of the Maratha community, including reservations, it said.

A meeting of the Morcha was held in Sangli on Sunday and various demands were discussed. The government has taken the decision of reimbursement of fees to students of professional colleges and those receiving higher education. However, many students are not getting these benefits.

The government had revived the Annasaheb Patil Corporation for providing financial assistance to the youths of the Maratha community. But the scheme is not working properly. Farmer-related issues of the Maratha community, too, are still pending.

Hence, workers have decided to start agitations again, said Rajendra Kondhare, general secretary, Maratha Kranti Morcha.

The government had assured reservation to the community but the same has not yet been declared. The issue is still pending with the state backward commission.

The BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis government had assured that it would provide reservation to the Maratha community after the silent marches in districts across the state and in Mumbai but the decision has been delayed. So, the Morcha decided to intensify the agitations, cleared Mr Kondhare.

The Morcha has given an ultimatum for providing reservation before the session. It has planned agitations at Nagpur during the session period and the protests will intensify in future, Morcha leaders said.

The aggressive stand of the Morcha has created a problem for the government as the decision on reservation is not possible immediately.

The backward class commission has not yet submitted its report to the government and it will take two to three months’ time for the same to happen. So, the government cannot take a decision before that, said a senior minister.