CM Fadnavis offers olive branch to resolve reservation issue

MUMBAI: Breaking his silence, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced that he is ready for a discussion on the Maratha reservation issue. He claimed that some political leaders are taking undue advantage of the situation. The Union government and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) are also taking stock of the situation. After an intervention from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, Mr Fadnavis toned down his earlier aggressive stand and called the pro-reservation organisations for discussions. Though Mr Fadnavis did not apologise for levelling allegations against Maratha organisations, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil apologised for the same.

Maratha reservation stir has been going on since few days across the state and due to political fuel, it will intensify in future. In order to subside the situation Mr Fadnavis changed his aggressive stance and invited the organisations for the discussions. He cleared that government want to give the reservation and the matter is pending in the court.

Further, Mr Fadnavis narrated all the steps taken by the government for the reimbursement of fees, financial help to the youth for business and other things. He asked chief secretary D.K. Jain to remove all hurdles from the implementation of the schemes declared for the Maratha community. Mr Fadnavis is also thinking over staying the recruitment issue, but there might be negative reactions. Youths are demanding government jobs, so government may keep 16 per cent seats vacant for the Maratha community. But now government have to give constitutional reservations also in the recruitment.

Meanwhile, PMO and Union home department is taking stock of the situation across the state. Shiv Sena MPs and others raised the issue in the parliament. Union government is concerned over the law and order situation and taking information from the IB also. BJP chief Amit Shah has been taking inputs from Mr Fadnavis.

Shiv Sena on leadership

Shiv Sena spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the state government has failed to handle the Maratha protests and now there are murmurs in the BJP about a leadership change in the state. Mr Fadnavis, a Brahmin, and some leaders from the party have been opposing him. Mr Raut alleged that no government servant has met protesters despite the dire situation in state.